Darkest Before Dawn
by LOTSlover
Summary: Sequel to my fic Marked, Richard and Kahlan are on the run and they are quickly running out of time to find the Stone of Tears. Can they elude the Mord'Sith bent on killing them before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE****:** Darkest Before Dawn

**AUTHOR****: **LOTSlove®

**CHARACTERS****: **Richard / Kahlan

**RATING****: ** R/M

**WARNINGS****:** Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

**TIMELINE****: **Anything up through S2

**DISCLAIMER****:** I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

**SUMMARY****: ** Sequel to my fic _Marked_, Richard and Kahlan are on the run and they are quickly running out of time to find the Stone of Tears. Can they elude the Mord'Sith bent on killing them before it's too late?

**Chapter 1**

The thin trickle of life-saving mist swirled as it escaped her mouth, passing by the parted lips of the dead body lying lifelessly on the floor before her. She gently stroked his hair, pressing her forehead against his as fear struck deep in her core.

_Breathe…breathe_, she silently chanted to herself as if willingly him back to life.

She waited with bated breath as she watched his motionless body for any signs of life returning to his handsome powerful frame. It could not end like this…not like this, much too soon. He was destined for greatness, had a glorious future ahead of him, one that included her by his side, not that wench.

His body suddenly convulsed, his chest expanding and causing his back to arch as life flooded him once more, snatching him from the depths of the Underworld and dragging him back to the world of life. His eyes slowly fluttered open as awareness awakened once more. Looking around in confusion, he found himself staring up into the face his loyal Mord'Sith.

"Lord Demos," Lucinda gasped with relief, fighting back the thick wave of emotions roiling through her.

He slowly sat up, realization beginning to slowly sink in. He looked down at himself, noticing the blood as memories swam like jagged pieces of drift wood in a stormy sea. The Mother Confessor…Kahlan Amnell…she did this to him. Kahlan had somehow broken the marking spell he had placed on her and had turned on him, killing him before he could kill his brother Richard.

This wasn't how it was supposed to end; he wasn't the one that was supposed to have died.

"Lord Rahl, are you alright now?" Mistress Lucinda asked, worry still etched in her face.

"I…I saw my twin brother Darken in the Underworld," he finally spoke, a trembling hand tentatively touching his face as if trying to confirm that he was truly alive once more.

"I couldn't let you stay dead, my Lord," Lucinda told him, wrapping a protective arm around his shoulders as he sat up. "I had to save you so we can get revenge on the Seeker and Mother Confessor for what they have done."

"They will pay for their treachery," Demos gritted his teeth as he struggled to his feet with Lucinda's help. "I promise you that."

"I've already alerted the Palace guards and Mord'Sith," Lucinda informed him. "They are searching for them as we speak."

"Find them and bring them to me immediately," Demos growled. "I survived what they have done, but they will not by so fortunate."

XXX

Cara couldn't erase the glare that was fixed on her face, grinding her teeth against the urge to hit someone. Tolla Nakunam had readily agreed to go along with her and Zedd to help find Richard and Kahlan, assembling some Aku warriors to come with them in case needed.

While inwardly grateful about their concern and eagerness to help, she was more than irritated by the amount of time it was taking to leave. Odo had wanted examine Zedd again before allowing him to come along while Tolla had needed to meet with Mitta once more before leaving.

But she was more than ready to get out of this backwards village and find Richard and Kahlan before it was too late. She couldn't help the fear that raced through her with not knowing what was going on with them right then, the anger that boiled within her for Demos's intrusion into their lives.

They had a stone to find and fast or Demos would be the least of their worries. She shuddered to think what would happen once the Keeper was fully let loose on the world of the living. No one would be able to help them then.

Growling under her breath, Cara turned, kicking a small stone out of her way as she waited for the warriors to gather their things. What would these people do if there was a real immediate emergency like their entire village catching on fire?

It would take them two days to discuss it as a council before gathering supplies and actually doing something about it. By then the entire village would be nothing but ashes and their lives completely over.

Just then, one of the Aku warriors approached, the one she liked the least of all of them. Hadi dropped his bag of supplies at his feet as he stared at her, a hard defiant expression on his angular face as he sneered at Cara, his hatred more than evident in his features.

"You're coming?" Cara scowled, obviously not thrilled with the notion of having to take him along.

"Someone has to come to keep an eye on you," Hadi spat out. "It seems I'm the only one not blinded by your believed change from your old ways."

"I don't really care what you think or believe," Cara snapped. "All I care about is finding Richard and Kahlan."

Hadi snorted in response. "I don't trust them either," he bit out. "You all should've been killed on the spot instead of welcomed into our village as if you were all some sort of heroes."

Cara quirked an eyebrow at him as she folded her arms against her chest. "You don't handle change well, do you?" she asked. "Holding grudges will only make you miserable."

"A Mord'Sith giving advice?" he glowered. "I think I'll pass."

"Have it your way," she replied with a heated gaze that could melt ice. "But know this – you do anything to get in the way of finding Richard and Kahlan and you will have a very serious meeting with me and my agiel."

Hadi met her hard stare, not flinching or backing away from her. "I'm not afraid of you, witch," he suddenly grinned wickedly. "You do anything that makes me think that you will harm my tribe and you will meet my spear."

"Glad we're both on the same page," Cara smirked.

Tolla Nakunam approached then along with Temin and about a half dozen Aku warriors. "Odo just cleared Zedd to join us," Tolla announced. "He's coming now."

"It's about time," Cara huffed. "Richard and Kahlan could be in the Old World by now for all we know."

"I doubt that, my dear," Zedd said as he approached. "They are no doubt heading to the People's Palace."

"I know that," Cara rolled her eyes in agitation. "I just mean that we're wasting too much time. We need to leave now before it's too late."

"We'll find Richard and Kahlan and stop Demos," Zedd promised her. "Richard has a good head on his shoulders, Cara. He and Kahlan are not so easy to take down."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she stated. "We not only have to find Richard and Kahlan, but find the Stone of Tears before it's too late. We're rapidly running out of time, Zedd."

"I know, but we won't let them down," he reassured her, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. "We'll get to them in time to find the stone and seal the rifts."

"I hope you're right," she sighed.

"Come; let's go," Tolla suddenly said. "The sooner we get going, the sooner we can find our friends."

Tolla turned and began to lead the way out of the village, Zedd and Cara following close behind him. Temin cast a glance at Hadi who refused to meet his friend's look. He was still furious with him over what had happened with Pasha. He should've been considered as her potential mate instead of just handing her over to Athanas.

Now, the woman that he had loved his whole life was to be mated with another man. The rage that welled inside nearly choked him. The thought of her lying with another man making his insides tremble with jealousy. It was not something that he was going to just sit back and watch happen. He was going to find a way to stop it one way or another after they returned.

But right now, his biggest concern was the Mord'Sith walking ahead of him. If he had his way, she would not be returning with them.

XXX

The halls were filled with people mingling and chatting, everyone with some purpose or destination in mind. The sounds of laughter hung in the air, fusing with the heavy distinguishable sound of D'Haran soldiers' boot strikes against the polished marble floor.

A deep rumbling voice stood out above all the rest of the noises, barking orders as soldiers began to scramble into action. Mord'Sith marched in pairs with agiels gripped tightly in hand, their fearsome glowers inciting terror in the most innocent as they passed by.

A set of chestnut brown eyes peered around the corner, waiting patiently for the moment they so desperately needed. His breaths were quick…shallow, his expression hard. He adjusted his grip on the weapon in his hand, his fingers curling firmly in preparation to fight their way out of here if necessary.

He'd already taken out several soldiers that had been guarding the room where Kahlan had killed Demos. They had momentarily slowed down their escape, but they were methodically plodding their way through the Palace on their way to freedom.

Richard hoped to avoid any more entanglements. Kahlan was too weak to use her powers yet, feared what would happen to her if she did. He needed to get her out of here as quickly as possible, get her to a healer or better yet Zedd.

He immediately pulled back as two Mord'Sith paused to talk to some D'Haran soldiers loitering in the corridor, their voices muted, and their faces severe as they spoke. He pressed his back firmly against the wall, his worried gaze falling on the beautiful woman beside him.

They needed to get out here now before it was too late, their window of opportunity for escape rapidly narrowing.

"Do you think you can make it?" he whispered to her.

Kahlan slowly nodded her head, her blue eyes dull and listless, vacant. He had no idea what condition she was truly in at that moment, the extent of her injuries or her exact state of mind. All he knew was that she was alive and she was finally his again…or at least he hoped she was his again.

Richard gripped her hand firmly in his, squeezing it gently; silently reassuring her that he would get her out of this no matter what it took, even if it took his life.

He peered around the corner, finally finding it clear once more. He carefully slipped out from their hiding place, pulling Kahlan along with him. It was taking painfully long trying to get out of here. Ever since Kahlan had killed Demos Rahl, they had been slowly working their way down one passageway after another, hiding in empty rooms and dark corridors until the threat had finally passed.

He knew the longer they stayed here, the greater the risk of never getting out of here alive ever again.

They had finally worked their way close to the devotion pools. Richard knew if they could just get into the marketplace, they could easily disappear into the crowds, never to be found. He just had to get them there first.

Slipping down the corridor, he felt his breath catch in his throat, their destination growing larger and closer within their reach with every step they took. He looked back over his shoulder to find Kahlan keeping up, but just barely.

He feared she wasn't going to last too much longer. He was barely able to put one boot in front of the other as it was, his broken ribs causing sharp pains to pierce his side with every step he took. He couldn't imagine how she was even staying upright at that moment. They were running on pure adrenaline right now, a desperate need to stay alive.

Few more steps, he told himself as they neared the devotion pools…so close. Just a few more feet and they would disappear into the crowds never to be found.

He slipped his sword back into his sheath, needing to blend in as much as possible. He stopped, turning back towards Kahlan. He took the brief luxury of caressing her cheek before pulling her hood up and tucking her long raven hair securely inside.

"I'll get you out of here, Kahlan," he whispered. "I promise."

Kahlan just stared back at him with that detached look, tears welling in her eyes. She slowly nodded her head, unable to find the words to respond to him. She searched deep within herself, but all she could find was chaos and confusion at that moment. Nothing more.

"Come on," he murmured as he took her hand in his again, ignoring the fact that she wasn't talking to him.

He knew that she loved him, had expressed that love to him several times in the Aku village before Demos's spell had taken her from him. She needed to rest, needed Zedd to heal the wounds that couldn't be seen on the surface with the human eye.

And only time would heal the wounds that cut even deeper still…time and his love. Hopefully then she'd be able to find that she that her heart still beat for him. Until then, he would have to hold tightly to his hope.

They slipped silently out into the bright sunlight, momentarily blinding them both. "Stay close," he ordered her, gripping her hand firmly.

People roamed through the devotion area, completely unaware of what had happened to their Lord Rahl or the fact that the infamous Seeker and Mother Confessor were now walking in their very midst amongst them.

Kahlan kept her hooded head lowered, her eyes focused on their joined hands. She suddenly remembered that she had always loved his hands, so gentle and yet full of such strength. That much she knew. Unfortunately, her mind was still an incoherent mess of disjointed images and memories that made no sense leaving her feeling lost, out of place.

She knew who she was and who Richard was, but their past together was clouded as if a hazy film had been slipped over them, keeping her from fully remembering everything that had happened to her…to them. She just hoped her memories would return in time.

Right now, though, all she wanted to do was sleep, to lie down and not wake up for days.

"You…there!" a commanding voice bellowed above the murmurs of the people gathered. "Stop!"

Richard internally froze at the sound of the authoritative voice, but continued to move, pulling Kahlan along behind him. He refused to stop unless absolutely forced to, hoping to get to the marketplace so they could disappear into the crowds of shoppers and vendors.

"You two!" the man's voice grew louder, angrier. "Stop where you are!"

People began to part like a massive sea, backing away and leaving Richard and Kahlan out in the open with no place to hide, nowhere to run. Richard's heart thundered in anticipation of a fight, his hand slowly creeping closer to the hilt of his weapon as he came to a stop.

He slowly turned around as he tucked Kahlan safely behind him, putting himself between her and the threat that was bearing down on them. His raptor gaze finally lifted to meet the owner of the voice, tamping down on the sudden fear that trembled through him…the fear of failing Kahlan.

A large D'Haran soldier stood tall and proud, his commanding presence looming large in the semi-secluded devotion area. Behind him stood three more soldiers, their uniforms slightly darker, more intimidating than the regular soldiers of the D'Haran army. These were the tough as steel, scar-riddled, battle-hardened soldiers of the Lord Rahl's First File, the best of the best and the most fearsome to face.

"Stay where you are," the booming voice commanded, pointing directly at him and Kahlan with the point of his sword glinting brightly in the afternoon sunlight.

Richard's mind rapidly began assessing the situation, racing through every possible scenario with its equally unpleasant outcome. Surrender was definitely not one of those options, ending in certain death for him and even worse for Kahlan. He refused to allow her to be submitted to Demo's perversions.

"I'm afraid I have been ordered to take you and the Mother Confessor back to Lord Rahl," the General informed him as he slowly drew closer to them.

Richard frowned with the General's words, the small hint of regret in his voice not going unnoticed nor was the fact that the three soldiers remained where they were standing as their General drew near the enemy. What was going on here?

His gaze darted back and forth to the people gathered around, watching in fear or curiosity. He adjusted the grip on his sword as he stared down the General, his other hand keeping a firm grip on Kahlan's arm. He was prepared to do whatever necessary to get her safely out of here.

The General appraised him for a long moment as if weighing his options, trying to decide what he wanted to do with his prisoners. What he said next to them couldn't have possibly come as any greater surprise to him.

"You're best hope of escape is through the west entrance of the Palace."

He spoke so low that Richard wasn't even absolutely certain that he had heard the man correctly or that he had even been talking to him. Then, the General leaned back, straightening his broad shoulders as he stared at them.

"This is not the Seeker and Mother Confessor," he suddenly announced, his voice echoing off the surrounding walls. "You may go."

With that he turned his back to Richard, sheathing his sword and returning to his men. "General Trimack," one of the soldiers said. "Are you certain?"

"Do you question me?" the General spat out like fire.

"No, sir," the soldier quickly amended.

"Come, we must continue our search," Trimack ordered, casting one last glance at Richard before disappearing back towards the Palace itself.

Richard released a ragged breath, sheathing his sword and turning back around to face Kahlan. "What just happened?" she whispered, incredulous.

"I'm not sure, but we best not hang around to find out," he muttered, snatching up her hand once more and leading her out of the devotion area and into the throngs of people.


	2. Chapter 2

**TITLE****:** Darkest Before Dawn

**AUTHOR****: **LOTSlove®

**CHARACTERS****: **Richard / Kahlan

**RATING****: ** R/M

**WARNINGS****:** Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

**TIMELINE****: **Anything up through S2

**DISCLAIMER****:** I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

**SUMMARY****: ** Sequel to my fic _Marked_, Richard and Kahlan are on the run and they are quickly running out of time to find the Stone of Tears. Can they elude the Mord'Sith bent on killing them before it's too late?

**Chapter 2**

Richard tightened his grip on Kahlan's hand as he led her through the masses of people milling about the marketplace, trying to work their way to the gate the General had told him about. Something inside told him that this was not some trap. The General could have easily captured them right there in the devotion courtyard, but had let them go knowing full well who they were.

He didn't understand why, but there was something about General Trimack that Richard found he trusted for some unknown reason he couldn't quite pinpoint. The General had helped him, but why?

Richard knew that the questions would have to wait for now. He needed to get Kahlan out of here and to safety and then there was the matter of finding the Stone of Tears. They were rapidly running out of time in finding their source of salvation from the Keeper. If he didn't find it soon, then all would be lost, including a future with Kahlan.

He ignored the vendors trying to push baskets and live squawking chickens in his face, blankets and worship prayer beads, his focus solely on the path that he was carving through the crowds. They couldn't afford to stop or to politely chat with anyone.

Soldiers and Mord'Sith were beginning to merge with the people swarming in the marketplace not to mention sunset was not very far off. He wanted to be out of here as soon as possible so they could escape to the safety of the woods and the darkness that would help protect them.

Richard pulled the cloak he'd purchased several vendors back more firmly around him, concealing his sword and allowing him to blend in more with the multitude gathered there. His heart hadn't stopped pounding like a stampeding horse's hooves since Kahlan had first broken free from the spell and killed Demos, but soon they'd be away from this infernal place and on their way back to the Aku village to find Zedd and Cara.

They'd lost a great deal of time because of Demos's interference, valuable time that they couldn't afford to lose. They only had days now to find the Stone of Tears or they were all as good as dead.

He felt his rage piercing through him like a fiery arrow, heating his blood even hotter. He was growing more worried about Kahlan with every passing moment, about the dreadful situation they now found themselves in. She'd barely spoken to him since killing Demos, had barely even made eye contact with him.

He was afraid to think of the possible consequences or side effects from Demos's marking spell on her. He wouldn't know more about her condition until they had gotten to the safety of the woods where he could actually talk to her, hold her…if she'd even let him.

He had no idea at this point how much she remembered or what influence Demos had actually had on her, if she had all her memories back or only a few of them. At least she seemed to know him, trusted him enough to come willingly with him. It helped give him a glimmer of hope that she would eventually be alright again.

Richard squeezed Kahlan's hand in reassurance, letting her know that he wouldn't leave her, that he would stay by her side no matter what happened. His heart sunk when several moments slipped by with no response from her, no tightening of her hand in his, no brushing of her thumb against the back of his hand…no anything.

He finally looked back over his shoulder at her, a quick fleeting glance to make sure that she was still alright. Her blue eyes were downcast, focused on the ground, her expression sad…lost. He couldn't imagine what she must be going through right now, how confusing everything must be for her after losing her memories and what had happened with Demos Rahl.

He so desperately wanted to pull her aside somewhere private where he could just hold her close and feel her body pressed against his, to run his fingers through her silky hair and kiss her the way that he'd been aching to for a while now. He wanted her to remember their love for another, but he didn't have that luxury right now, not with soldiers and Mord'Sith swarming the area like flies.

And he had a feeling the incident with that General Trimack was a once in a lifetime occurrence.

"Sir…Sir!"

Richard instantly tensed as he lowered his head as a vendor made a beeline directly for him, jewelry draped up the length of his arms. "Not interested," the Seeker kindly but firmly stated as he kept walking.

"But sir!" the vendor persisted, moving along beside them. "Wouldn't you like to buy something for your very beautiful wife? Maybe a nice bracelet?"

"No, I'm afraid we're in a hurry," Richard bit out, his throat already constricting with the next words that momentarily stuck on the tip of his tongue. "And…she's not…my wife."

The words stung deeply as he heard his voice speak those words, uttering something that he wanted more than anything he'd ever wanted in his entire life. He wanted her, wanted Kahlan to be his wife, wanted to be her husband and to have daughters with her.

Once the rift was sealed, the Keeper was defeated and Kahlan was finally safe, he wanted to marry her and spend his forever with her.

"Ah," the vendor suddenly beamed, drawing something from his pocket. "Maybe you are in need of a wedding ring then. You two would make a great couple."

Richard bit back the anger and frustration swelling deep inside of him as he quickened his step, pulling Kahlan along with him. "No, I'm not interested in a wedding ring or marrying her," he finally growled a little harsher than he had intended, his heart constricting with the words.

Unfazed, the vendor quickly moved on, turning his smile and his attention to a woman following behind them, descending on her like a vulture in an effort to make a sale much to Richard's relief. He was rapidly running out of patience as they pushed their way through the throngs of people finishing up their business before heading home for the evening. Right now, getting Kahlan safely out of here was his only priority.

Hooking her hair behind her ear, Kahlan lowered her head even further, her attention solely on her boots that quickly grew blurry through the sudden wash of tears that had abruptly risen out of nowhere.

She didn't know where this sudden rush of tormented emotions was coming from or what had triggered it. All she knew was that something inside of her had hurt deeply when she had heard Richard say that she wasn't his wife or that he didn't want to marry her.

He had said it with such finality, such anger and aversion that it made her throat constrict. She didn't know why it had hurt her so deeply to hear him say that. She knew who Richard was and that she could trust him, but beyond that everything else was still a shattered picture of her life, fractured memories that didn't seem to fit.

When she looked at Richard or heard his voice speak her name, she knew she felt something inside, a nervous flutter of emotions, but wasn't certain what it meant or what exactly they truly meant to each other. Were they more than just the Seeker and Mother Confessor?

But after the way he reacted to the vendor with the wedding rings and jewelry, Richard obviously thought nothing more of her than just friendship. And for some reason that thought nearly stopped her heart's beating altogether.

Kahlan quickly brushed the tears from her face, not wanting him to know that she had been so upset by his words. She didn't want him to know that she felt something more inside than just friendship whenever he looked at her with those chestnut eyes or that her heart seemed to skip a beat when he said her name, that the feel of his strong hand wrapped so possessively around hers made her flush warmly inside.

No, she would just have to keep these feelings to herself, couldn't let him know that she longed to kiss him or touch him, that she felt something so much more than friendship towards him.

She swallowed back the rest of her tears as well as her heart, steeling herself against these unwanted emotions inside especially knowing now how he truly felt about her and the notion of marriage. He obviously didn't want her.

Kahlan came to an abrupt stop at the feel of a hand suddenly grabbing her arm from behind. She whirled around to find herself face to face with a couple of Mord'Sith, their agiels clutched tightly in their hands and pointed menacingly at her face.

Richard' heart nearly stopped at the feel of Kahlan's hand suddenly slipping free from his. He quickly turned to find Kahlan facing two Mord'Sith glaring hotly at her, their agiels raised. His hand swiftly slipped beneath his cloak, his fingers immediately wrapping around the hilt of his sword in preparation for a fight.

Richard glanced down at Kahlan's hand by her side, could tell by the way her fingers were curling and uncurling that she was contemplating just confessing them, therefore ending the threat altogether. He didn't want her using her magic yet until he'd had a chance to make sure the spell hadn't affected her more than they knew.

Using her magic could have an unforeseen reaction, further draining her of what little energy she still had left. Besides, it wouldn't help their dire situation to confess and kill two Mord'Sith right here in the middle of the marketplace. The attention it would no doubt draw would definitely seal their fate.

Just as he was moving to put himself between Kahlan and the Mord'Sith, Kahlan's hand shot out, stopping him. "Oh good," Kahlan suddenly spoke with a broken accent that he'd never heard her use before. "I wonder if you could help us. My brother and I are not from here. We lost our way and need to find our supply wagon waiting for us at the west gate. Could you please point us in the right direction?"

The Mord'Sith were obviously taken off guard by Kahlan's question and accent, expecting a fight not a conversation with a foreigner. The darker haired Mord'Sith's gaze narrowed suspiciously as she stared at Kahlan before turning her attention to Richard.

"Where are you from?" she demanded to know, leveling her agiel at Richard. "You are not from around here. You sound as if you're from the Wilds."

"Yes…yes, we are," Kahlan quickly interjected, nodding her head and not giving Richard time to respond. "I'm afraid my brother doesn't speak your language very well so please forgive him. Now, if you'd kindly point us in the right direction."

The two Mord'Sith looked at each other for a long moment as if trying to decide if Kahlan was telling the truth or not. The darker haired Mord'Sith finally turned her attention back to Richard and Kahlan, her expression still severe.

"The west gate is that way," she finally said, pointing with her agiel. "Keep moving. We're searching for a man and a woman. They're very dangerous so if you see a suspicious looking couple, report it immediately. Aiding them will result in immediate death."

Kahlan bowed her head low in humble submission, something so atypical for the powerful Mother Confessor. "Yes," she replied, keeping her eyes downcast. "We'll be careful. Thank you for your kind concern. May the Creator herself bless you both in this life."

The Mord'Sith frowned with her blessing, but quickly turned away with her Sister of the Agiel to continue their search for the Seeker and Mother Confessor. Kahlan finally turned back to Richard, the exhaustion lining her beautiful face evident once more.

He quickly reached out, grabbing hold of her arm to steady her as her knees began to buckle. "We need to keep going," he told her, his tone so gentle, full of concern. "Can you make it just a little longer?"

Kahlan slowly nodded her head, doing her best to ignore his close proximity, the way his eyes seemed to fill with such worry for her. She knew that it wasn't real, just an act to get them safely out of here.

"Come on," he murmured, his hand sliding down her arm to firmly capture hers. "Let's get you out of here."

Following Richard, Kahlan fought to stay on her feet as she followed him through the swarms of people. Her entire body was threatening to give out on her at any moment, fighting to keep her moving knowing that she couldn't stop or give up now.

Stopping now would mean certain death for both of them and she couldn't allow that to happen to Richard.

XXX

"You must lie still," Mistress Lucinda scowled at him in frustration and worry. "The healer isn't finished with you yet."

"I have to find my brother and Kahlan before they escape," Demos angrily growled, flopping back against the pillows of his bed in agitation.

"We have it covered," Lucinda insisted, crossing her arms against her chest. "Every guard and Mord'Sith has been alerted to be on the lookout for them and to have them brought in alive no matter what it takes."

"Once I have them, I will crush Richard," Demos sneered.

"And what about the Mother Confessor?" Mistress Lucinda tentatively asked.

"She will be mine to do with as I please," he spat out.

Lucinda instantly stiffened with his words. "But Lord Demos…" she began, stunned by his admission.

"Kahlan Amnell will be mine one way or another," he insisted.

"You're still determined to take the Mother Confessor to your bed? To have her rule by your side?" she ground out, her hands clenched tightly. "Wouldn't it be better to just kill her and be done with her? She killed you, Lord Rahl. What makes you think she won't try to kill you again?"

"Not once I've given her to you to break…after I've had my turn with her, of course," he said, his eyes growing distant with a dark gleam that told of the plans circulating in his mind for the Mother Confessor.

"I do not think it wise," Lucinda pressed, her anger swelling within her. "Kahlan Amnell has already proven to be more than deadly. She's a dangerous woman to tangle with."

"Which makes me want her even more than ever before," Demos grinned wickedly. "She'll be my greatest conquest."

"I do not know what you see in her," the Mord'Sith spat out as the healer finally finished with Demos.

Dismissing the healer, Demos sat up, running his fingers over the newly healed flesh, pleased with the results. "Jealous, Lucinda?" he asked as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, facing her.

He reached out for her, his hands roughly gripping her backside and pulling her to him. He squeezed her leather clad buttocks, thoroughly enjoying how jealous his favorite Mord'Sith was. He suddenly found himself very aroused as he brushed his mouth against the smooth leather covering her abdomen.

Lucinda immediately felt her body relax despite the jealous rage flowing like hot lava through her veins. Damn this man for having such a profound effect on her, her body betraying her as her fingers automatically snaked into his hair to grip it tightly.

Her head fell back as he began removing her red leather, slowly peeling it off and revealing the voluptuous body that lay bare beneath waiting for him to take as he saw fit. And she knew that he would.

"Demos…" she breathed his name in sharply as his mouth descended on her taut stomach, his teeth raking over the sensitive skin.

He kissed and nipped his way up her body, his hand sliding up to painfully grab her long sleek braid and violently jerk her hand back. _So he wants it this way, does he_, she thought to herself with delight, the fire in the pit of her belly instantly flaming hotly once more.

Sometimes he wanted to be broken, the one being forced into submission, to be on the receiving end. Other times, he preferred to be the one to dole out the pleasure that came along with the endless pain, to be the angry aggressor, to dominate and to break her will, her spirit.

Today, he was going to pour out his rage and aggression over what had happened, his need for revenge being taken out on her, making her pay the heavy price that Kahlan should be paying right now. The corners of her lips curved up into a blissful grin. She would gladly take whatever he gave her and so much more.

For him, she'd give her mind, heart, body, and soul.

"I'm going to make you pay," he growled as he slapped her so hard across the face that it caused her head to jerk.

Lucinda turned her head back to face him, her eyes dark with lust focused solely on him as her tongue darted out to lick the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. She smiled smugly. "What exactly are you going to do to me…Lord Rahl?" she asked, standing bare before him now except for her blood red boots.

"I'm going to make you bleed for days," he hissed like a deadly viper, his mouth roaming over her skin. "You're going to scream my name until you can't speak and when you think you can't take any more of me, I'm going to take you again and again and again."

"Do it," Lucinda smirked, thrilled with the opportunity to please this man in his sadistic obsessions, to allow him to torture her body in order to bring himself both ultimate pleasure and fulfillment, a much needed release after what Richard and Kahlan had just put him through.

His mouth was suddenly sucking hard on the tendon of her neck. "I'm going to pound Richard Rahl right out of you until all you know…all you want is me, Kahlan," he sneered as his teeth suddenly sank into her flesh, biting hard, his hands already beginning to assault and violate her body.

Ignoring the use of the other woman's name, Lucinda cried out despite herself, a scream caught somewhere between pain and sweet ecstasy splitting the air and causing her vision to momentarily blur. She knew she was a substitute for Kahlan Amnell, taking what he was so desperate to unleash upon her, but at that moment she didn't care as he suddenly paused to throw her face down on the bed, his body swiftly pinning her to the mattress.

She was here and Kahlan was not. Demos was hers, not the Mother Confessor's and if he was here with her than he wasn't with Kahlan Amnell.

And when Lucinda finally found Kahlan…and she would, she was going to make damn certain that the Mother Confessor didn't live long enough to take her Lord Rahl away from her ever again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Richard looked back over his shoulder to see the Palace still looming behind them but steadily growing smaller, just not nearly quick enough for his liking. He wanted to put as much distance between Kahlan and his brother Demos as possible.

There was no doubt in his mind that his faithful Mord'Sith had resurrected him from the dead. He knew that he should've removed his brother's head from his shoulders when he'd had the chance, eliminating the chance for the Sisters of the Agiel to bring him back from the Underworld. However, the overwhelming need to get Kahlan out of there had overridden all other decisions.

The thought of his wicked brother and the plans that he'd had in mind for Kahlan made him tremble inside with the rage still seeking release. He would sacrifice his own life before he would allow anything to happen to her like that.

Glancing at her now, he could see that she wasn't going to last for much longer. They'd both been running on nothing but pure adrenaline and a desperate need to survive. Now that they were finally entering the safety of the woods, their bodies were on the verge of giving out.

Just then, the toe of Kahlan's boot suddenly caught on a root sticking out of the ground, causing her to fall. Richard quickly reached for her, helping her to feet, his hand firmly gripping her arm to steady her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his worried eyes roaming over her.

Kahlan only nodded her head as she brushed the dirt and grass off of her clothes, aggravated with herself for not paying better attention. She averted her eyes, unable to meet the intense gaze that would no doubt greet her, the one that made her stomach suddenly flutter.

She took another step, determined to keep going despite the exhaustion threatening to pull her to the ground only to have her legs suddenly give out on her again. Her body was telling her that she was done despite her determination that saying otherwise.

"Kahlan," Richard frowned, kneeling down beside her. "That's it. You can't go any further."

"No, we need to keep going…before the Quads show up…" she shook her head, her breathing growing ragged.

"Sit here and rest for a little while," he insisted. "I'm going on up ahead a little deeper into the woods to find us a place to sleep for the night."

Kahlan tried to argue, to get to her feet again, but Richard was already moving away from her, her limbs no longer obeying the commands that her brain was sending them. She sank back on her heels, her eyelids heavy with fatigue.

She rubbed her face with her hands in an attempt to banish the exhaustion that clung to her like a second skin, wishing she could remember her life, remember what her relationship with Richard truly was.

She hoped in time that her memories would return. In the meantime, things would remain nothing more than a hazy mystery.

Kahlan slowly opened her eyes to find everything spinning wildly, her head a dull hammering ache like the pounding of an Aku drum.

Aku…who were the Aku and why would she suddenly be thinking of them?

Kahlan turned her head slightly, suddenly noticing the unexpected sound of men's voices drawing near to her. She needed to move, to hide, to warn Richard, but she couldn't make her body cooperate. Her blood began to rush in her ears, her vision beginning to tunnel to tiny pinpoints.

She felt the unexpected touch of the cool forest floor against her face as she collapsed, the sound of the voices growing louder as everything suddenly became darker than night.

XXX

Richard tried to swallow back the rising panic that swarmed thickly inside of him, threatening to take his legs out from under him. He'd never seen Kahlan quite like this before, so frail…so vulnerable. It was beyond unnerving watching her so broken and lost like this.

He needed to get her back to the Aku village and to Zedd as soon as possible. He was terrified of losing her, of losing the only thing in this life that mattered the most to him.

He was beyond relieved when he finally spotted a small cave opening, one that he could easily conceal with branches, keeping them from being discovered. He needed to get Kahlan to the cave where she could finally rest.

He had to admit, he wasn't doing so great himself at the moment. His every muscle was screaming at him, reminding him of Demos's dark magical handiwork. His hand unconsciously went to his broken ribs, the sharp jabs of pain that came with every breath he drew a constant reminder as well of the hell they'd already been through.

He quickly made his way back to get Kahlan, anxious to get to her safety. He hated leaving her alone like that, but it couldn't be helped. He just hoped that she could hold on for just a little bit longer. Then he'd be able to get her settled in for the night, find her something to eat.

He needed to check on her wounds, find out how much she actually remembered. He couldn't believe that all of this was happening now after he'd finally convinced her of his love. She was finally his to have forever, unaffected by her magic and free to have the life that they both had wanted.

Now, he didn't know what kind of a future they had together…or if they even had one at all.

All he knew was that he'd never give up on her. He would help her regain her memories no matter how long it took, even if it took him a lifetime to build new ones with her, making her fall in love with him all over again.

She had fallen in love with him once. He'd do everything he could to help her fall in love with him all over again.

Richard's entire body tensed with the sound of voices, his hand automatically going for the hilt of his sword as icy dread prickled his skin. As his fingers gripped his sword, he felt the immediate familiar sensation of righteous rage inundate him, bathing him in powerful magic and the wisdom of Seekers past as he took off in a dead run for Kahlan.

All the numerous aches and pains of his body, the broken ribs and exhaustion that had seeped into every fiber of his being was swiftly forgotten as he drew closer. The site of four D'Haran soldiers leaning over Kahlan's body caused his fury to explode into white hot flames licking deep in his core.

With a scream of pure unadulterated rage, the Seeker attacked with a fierce vengeance, the frustration and anger over all that had happened the last few days pouring out of him like blistering lava searing everything in sight.

Stunned, the D'Haran soldiers raced for the enraged Seeker, the Mother Confessor all but forgotten in the wake of the new threat charging at them at a furious rate, his raptor gaze dark with wrath.

Richard thrust his sword, slicing deep into the belly of the first soldier before spinning and ducking, missing the blade of the second soldier. He swung his sword, the blade arcing in the last rays of the setting sun and slicing through the man's neck, causing blood to spurt out everywhere.

Without even turning around, he swiftly flipped his sword around, the blade now facing behind him as he thrust backwards into the soldier descending upon him. The blade sunk into the man's chest as Richard kicked his boot up into the jaw of the last D'Haran soldier coming at him, sending him flying backwards.

He turned swiftly, withdrawing his sword before pouncing on the last soldier. With a grunt, he stabbed his sword into the soldier's chest before he could get up onto his feet. Panting heavily, Richard wiped his blade across the man's uniform to remove the blood before sheathing it.

He quickly turned back to Kahlan lying so still in the grass, fearing the worst as he fell onto his knees beside her. "Please…Kahlan," he demanded, the fury of the sword still pulsating hotly through him. "Don't do this to me."

He gently rolled her over onto her back, pressing his forehead against hers, praying that she was still alive. The faint feel of her warm breath against his face caused him to release his own breath he'd been holding.

He softly pressed his lips to hers before carefully gathering her up into his arms.

XXXX

She slowly opened her eyes, her brow furrowing in confusion as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings. She was in a cave, the grayish-brown walls rough and bleak and gloomy. The soft crackle of a fire turned her attention to her other side, the dim orange glow of the flames casting faint shadows on the walls.

Kahlan looked down to find herself covered with a green blanket, her backpack as a pillow. She drew a deep breath, finding even that caused her body to hurt. She slowly forced herself to sit up, anxious to see Richard, but instead finding herself all alone.

She felt a wave of panic wash through her with his absence, loneliness welling up within her. She hadn't realized how much his presence comforted her, how much peace he created in her soul just by being by her side.

"Richard?" she tried calling out, her voice not much above a whisper. She tried again as her panic rose, her fingers curling into the soft fibers of the blanket and clutching it tightly to her. "Richard?"

She knew that she shouldn't feel more than just friendship towards him after he had made his feelings about her so very clear to that vendor earlier, but she couldn't seem to help the powerful draw that she felt towards him.

"Richard!" she cried.

Just then, the branches concealing the mouth of the cave moved causing her to scoot until her back was pressed up against the rough cave wall. Fear that it was Demos nearly paralyzed her as a dark shadow fell across the cave floor only to feel it dissipate when she saw it was Richard.

"Kahlan," he breathlessly called her name, his chest heaving. "Are you alright? What's the matter?"

Kahlan swallowed back the tears that had suddenly collected in her throat, feeling very ashamed of her fear. She was the powerful Mother Confessor and yet she'd been as frightened as a child lost in the woods.

"I…I'm sorry," she softly choked out as she quickly averted her eyes, brushing aside a stray tear that had escaped against her will. "I…I woke up…alone…I didn't know…"

Richard swiftly sheathed his sword, slowly making his way to her. He crouched before her, keeping a little distance from her to keep from frightening her more than she obviously already was.

"I'm sorry, Kahlan," he gently said, his heart nearly rending in two at the site of her so broken and scared. "I was looking for something to eat."

He carefully pulled a cloth from his vest pocket, pulling back the corners to reveal a large handful of berries. "I'm sorry, but this was all I could find so far. I'm hoping to be able to find something more in the morning."

"It's alright," she murmured. "You eat. I'm not hungry."

Richard frowned with her words. "Kahlan, you need to eat something," he insisted. "You need to get your strength back."

"I'll be fine," she told him.

"We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow," he tried again, a smile spreading across his face in an effort to regain more of her trust. "I can't carry you and protect you at the same time."

She looked at him with sad eyes, bewilderment swimming there in her blue depths. His chest clenched tightly, the way she looked reminding him of waking up that morning in the wayward pine after making love to her. He had woken to find her sitting away from him in fear, her dagger clutched tightly in her hand.

She had woken up then unable to remember him, not knowing who he was or where they were. The lost, fearful expression on her face had been beyond difficult to witness.

Now, he was witnessing it all over again, but at least this time she knew who he was.

Kahlan studied the chocolate brown of his eyes; his warm reassuring smile and she couldn't help but relax a little despite her fear that continually crept over her. She slowly leaned forward, taking a couple of berries from his outstretched hand before leaning back against the cave wall.

"Kahlan, you have to take more than that," he sighed in frustration.

"I'm not hungry," she shook her head. "You eat them. You need it more than I do."

Richard drew a deep breath, fighting to keep his worry over her at bay, but it was growing more than difficult being forced to sit here and watch her pull away from him and draw further into herself.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to put the fire out for the night," he finally said as he ate the berries, hoping it would tempt her to eat more. "It's too dangerous to keep it lit. The smoke could draw attention to us."

"It's alright," she nodded in agreement as she suddenly noticed that he had spread his blanket very near where she had been lying.

"It could get cold, Kahlan," he pointed out.

"Don't worry, Richard," she tried to reassure him. "I'm sure we've been through worse."

"Kahlan, how much do you actually remember?" he finally asked, his need to know now becoming too much to ignore any longer.

He watched as her sapphire eyes began to glisten with unshed tears, her bottom lip beginning to tremble. "Not very much I'm afraid," she whispered.

"Do you remember anything about me? Us?" he pressed, his heart beginning to hammer a little harder in his chest in anticipation of her answer.

"I only know who you are…nothing more," she choked out. "I…I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more, but everything is so tangled up in my mind. I just can't seem to unravel it all."

Richard slowly nodded his head in understanding as he swallowed back his own hurt and fears, trying to hold his heart together for her. "It's alright," he reassured her. "I'll find a way to help you get your memories back. You know you can trust me, right? I won't hurt you, Kahlan."

She quickly wiped her tears from her face. "Yes, you're the Seeker and I think my friend."

Friend.

Never had a word stung so painfully, meant so much to him and yet was like a slap across his face on a bitterly cold winter day. They were so much more than that, more than just merely friends. They were best friends, lovers, soul-mates, his reason for existing.

Kahlan watched as a painful expression flashed across his face. "Aren't we friends?" she tentatively asked.

"Yes, Kahlan," he replied, steadying his voice as he forced himself to relax. "We're very good…friends…in fact, the best."

Kahlan relaxed with his response and yet she felt like a dagger's blade had just embedded itself deep in her chest. They were friends…nothing more than that, nothing closer or more intimate. Just…friends.

She knew deep down that she should be thankful for that, but couldn't help the overwhelming desire for so very much more. Watching the glow of the fire playing against his handsome face, she felt such an intense desire to kiss him, an intense pull to be near him.

She quickly banished that thought, knowing it just wasn't meant to be. He had made it very clear that he didn't want to marry her. She wondered if he had a love already, someone waiting for him to return to her.

The thought suddenly made her tears return, falling harder…faster.

"Kahlan, what is it?" he asked, moving closer to her without even realizing it.

He immediately reached out to cup her cheek without even a second thought about what he was doing, knowing he shouldn't push her, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't bear not touching her, holding her, comforting her. He ached so desperately to kiss her, to make love to her here by the fire.

He needed the reassurance that she was going to be alright, their love surviving the horrors that Demos had just forced them to endure. He needed her to heal him, was desperate to heal her as well. They were both hurting and he so badly wanted to share it with her.

He longed to feel the press of her soft skin against his, the pounding of their hearts from the passion raging through their joined bodies, to taste her on his tongue once more.

Kahlan drew a shuddering breath, his sudden nearness causing her a shiver of desire to race through her. He was suddenly so close and yet not nearly close enough.

She wanted to crawl onto his lap, to kiss him breathless as he filled the hollow ache that lived between her legs. For some reason that she didn't understand, she knew it was him that she needed, him that she wanted above all else.

Her gaze fell to his lips, the urge to kiss him growing stronger by the moment, but then his words to the vendor rang in her ears once more. She began to pull away from him, his other hand coming up to cup the other side of her face, fighting to keep her close to him.

"Kahlan," he whispered her name, a soft desperate plea to let him in, to remember everything that they meant to each other. Spirits, he was aching so desperately to kiss her.

She stared at him for a moment before quickly disentangling herself from his hold on her, needing to get away from him. It hurt too much to be this close to him, to feel such strong feelings for him and not be able to touch him the way that she desperately wanted to.

Richard's heart sank in his chest as she pulled away from him, shutting him out once more. His head fell to his chest in momentary defeat before finally gathering himself again. He tried to remind himself of all that she'd just been through, the fact that Demos's spell on her mind had just been broken.

He knew he needed to give her time; unfortunately, time was not on their side. They had less than a week to find the Stone of Tears, to seal the rifts and defeat the Keeper. They needed to get to Zedd and Cara as soon as possible or there would be no future to even hope for with Kahlan.

Making sure Kahlan was settled on her bedroll again, Richard turned and put out the fire before settling down beside her on the hard cave floor. It hurt him to lay so close to her and not be able to touch her, to hold her against him.

He needed her now more than ever and even though she was lying right beside him, she seemed so very far away, suddenly so far beyond his reach again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Leaning against the trunk of a fallen tree, Cara sat before the campfire, her mind leagues away from this place. She was none too happy about stopping for the night already. They had barely made any time since leaving the Aku village late this afternoon only to suddenly stop.

They didn't have time for this. Richard and Kahlan could be fighting for their very lives at this moment for all they knew or being tortured by Mord'Sith. They were no doubt wondering where she and Zedd were, trying to survive until they could get to them.

And instead of racing to their aid, they had stopped to set up camp for the night like they had all the time in the world.

Cara cursed softly under her breath, Zedd's sudden snorting snores breaking through her thoughts. How could the old Wizard possibly sleep at a time like this? Their friends…his own grandson…could be dead for all they knew right now.

Unable to stand it another moment longer, the Mord'Sith leapt to her feet, her red leather creaking softly with her movements. She felt like she was about to pull her blond hair out. There had to be something that she could do to find them, to help them.

"Mistress Cara…"

The Mord'Sith turned at the sound of her name to find Tolla Nakunam approaching, a smile on his tanned face. "Tolla," Cara nodded her head in greeting with a slight huff. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I could be asking you the same thing," he replied, amusement sparkling in his eyes as he approached the campfire.

"I asked you first," Cara said with an arched eyebrow.

"I was making another round before settling in for the night," he responded before sitting down before the fire with a sigh.

Zedd's sudden grunting snore caused them both to glance at the sleeping Wizard. "I think he could sleep through the end of the world if it happens," Cara snorted.

Tolla smiled with her words. "I'm sure he is a very effective warrior in time of need."

Cara moved to sit down beside him, her frustrated anxiety momentarily forgotten with the sudden company. "He has his moments of bravery, I guess," she reluctantly admitted. "If he can put his lunch down long enough to help, of course."

Tolla's head fell back as a low rumble of laughter rolled through him. "I have to admit the Wizard likes to eat," he confessed, turning his attention back to Cara. "Now, tell me why you are still awake. You seem very unsettled."

Cara frowned as she threw a small twig at the fire before them. "I don't like stopping when I know that Richard and Kahlan need our help," she confessed with a scowl. "They are in trouble and I need to be there."

"I understand your need to help Seeker Richard and Confessor Kahlan," Tolla nodded his head as he stared into the dancing flames of the fire. "But as a fellow warrior, do you not think it best to be rested and prepared then to drag yourself into a battle that you are ill-prepared to fight in because of fatigue? I would think you would want to be at your best when Seeker Richard needs you the most."

"I can sleep later after I know that they are both safe," she huffed.

"You truly care about them though you don't like to show it," he knowingly observed. "It is not a sign of weakness to care about someone or to allow it to be seen."

"It can be if you allow it to become a distraction," she countered. "Richard and Kahlan have a mission, a destiny that they alone need to fulfill and it is my responsibility to make sure they are able to do that. I cannot fulfill my sworn oath to protect them if I am not with them."

"Your dedication is admirable, Mistress Cara," he nodded his head appreciatively as he pulled a small package of dried venison from his bag, offering her a piece.

Cara took a small piece of dried meat, chewing it thoughtfully as they sat in comfortable silence. "Richard saved me, gave my life back," she softly said. "He gave me a chance to redeem myself, become the person I was meant to be for myself and no one else."

"He is a most honorable man to have earned such high respect from you," he agreed. "There are not many men who would be willing to give someone a second chance let alone a Mord'Sith and there are not many Mord'Sith who would hold such high respect for a man who is not the Lord Rahl."

Cara grunted in acknowledgment. "Mord'Sith are not the most admirable people despite the justification that we were broken and forced into service for the Lord Rahl," she stated. "Richard has given me a chance at redemption for the things I've done. He has put his faith in him. Swearing my life to him is the least I can do."

Tolla Nakunam mulled over her words for several moments before finally responding. "It is more than encouraging to know that you are not like your Sisters, that a Mord'Sith can find salvation from the dark things ingrained into her."

"Hadi seems to think differently," Cara smirked, picturing the Aku warrior crouching in the forest right now, watching them…her, making sure she wasn't corrupting his leader.

"Hadi has a very hot head, clings to the old ways," Tolla groused, chewing on another bite of dried venison. "He is a very good warrior, but I'm afraid his temper will keep him from ever attaining status as Tolla of the Aku warriors."

"Why do you allow him to stay a warrior then?" she asked.

"He has potential to be a great leader someday," Nakunam informed her. "His father passed into the spirit world when Hadi was young. He has no one to teach him, help him learn. I hope to help teach him how to temper his anger, to be a better man than what he is allowing himself to be."

Cara was surprised by his answer. She had thought that it had been a weakness on Nakunam's part for allowing Hadi to continue to take part in the warrior's duties with his obvious uncontrollable anger issues. In reality, he was trying to shape the young man much the way that Richard and the others had been trying to help her reshape the way she thought and responded.

"You are a very honorable yourself, Tolla," Cara finally admitted. "The Aku are fortunate to have you as their leader."

"I am just trying to help my people to change their ancient ways and beliefs, to live a more harmonious existence with those around us," he explained. "It is the only way our village will prosper, survive."

"You have great vision," she agreed. "It is strange and surprising to hear from an Aku."

"Times are changing and so must we or we will die clinging to our ancestor's ways," he continued. "Hadi thinks Mitta and I are weak for not holding onto our tribe's ancient ways, that we have gone soft, but the old way of thinking is obsolete and will only end in the demise of our people."

"The Aku are very privileged to have your forethought to protect your people," she said.

"And now, we help you find Seeker Richard and Confessor Kahlan," he sighed. "Since meeting them, I truly believe that they are both meant for greatness and we need to do what we can to make sure they are alive to do that."

"If you only knew," Cara murmured under her breath, her worry returning with a vengeance.

XXX

Mistress Lucinda winced as she attempted to move, her entire body refusing to cooperate. She drew a slow steady breath, hoping to help gain control of her body again, but even that created a nauseating wave of pain to roll through her. She felt as if Demos had literally torn her in two after pouring out his rage on her.

It had been their most violent, most erotic session yet, raging on hour after hour with seemingly no end in sight. Her breath caught in her throat as she inched closer to the edge of the bed, the bloody sheets tangled between her legs.

He had repeatedly humiliated and degraded her, beaten her and raped her mercilessly, but it was all worth it to her because for him she'd do anything. He could do what he wanted with her body for he owned her heart.

Besides, she knew that he had needed this outlet for the choking fury that had teemed within him. Any powerful great leader did and she was pleased that he had chosen her to be his conduit for both release and for unbelievable pleasure.

She dragged her tongue across her dry cracked lips only to grimace at the blood she still tasted there. It was a bitter tang that she was all too familiar with. She swallowed back a scream as she finally placed her trembling feet flat on the cold marble floor, her entire body shuddering violently.

She couldn't believe she was reacting quite like this to the pain that continually ripped through her every muscle and bone. She had suffered just as much if not worse at the hands of the Mord'Sith when she had been broken and trained years ago.

Despite the searing pain, though, she felt a great sense of pride and satisfaction welling inside of her. If he was focusing all of his attention and energy on her, then he wasn't focusing on that whore Kahlan Amnell.

Looking around, Lucinda began to wonder where exactly Demos had gone to. She had passed out at some point after he'd nearly broken her neck, almost choking her to death. She had awoken to find herself all alone.

She gingerly rubbed her arms, gasping at how sore she was, the numerous cuts and bites marks, at the bruises already beginning to form. She should probably see a healer and yet she didn't want to. She would proudly bear the marks of her night spent with her Lord Rahl for all the Mord'Sith to witness and envy.

Before she could go look for him, though, she needed to get cleaned up, talk with her Mord'Sith to see if they had found the Seeker and Mother Confessor yet. All of this was far from over especially as far as Kahlan Amnell was concerned.

If she had been found, Kahlan was going to meet a very unfortunate accident before Demos could ever get his hands on her.

"I thought I'd be seeing you again."

Demos's smile grew as he stared at the form before him, hearing the voice that was so much like his own. After taking Lucinda over and over until almost the point of death, he'd felt quit recharged, ready to resume his plans to find Richard and Kahlan again. The Mother Confessor would pay for what she had done to him.

"I thought it was time to spend a little time with my twin brother for once, get to know him," Demos replied. "Besides, we didn't get a chance to finish our conversation before."

"We still have much to talk about, don't we?" Darken smirked. "Our two favorite people."

Demos stared at his wavering form in the flames of the fire, his visage so eerily familiar. It was unnerving to see a mirror image of himself staring back at him. "Indeed we do," he agreed, stroking his goatee. "What exactly do you have running through that mind of yours?"

"Time is running out for Richard to find the Stone of Tears which means that he will be more desperate than ever in his search for it before it's too late," Darken Rahl informed him. "You need to find him and Kahlan before they find the Stone."

"Great plan, brother," Demos ground out with a sneer. "I'd love to, but so far they've managed to evade my soldiers and Mord'Sith. They're nowhere to be found right now. It's as if they've disappeared off the face of the earth."

Darken smiled patiently despite his twin brother's obvious irritation. "That's why you need my help."

"And what exactly do you propose that I do that I already haven't considered?" Demos asked, his dark eyes narrowing suspiciously, his mind already churning with possibilities.

"A spell," Darken simply suggested.

"What kind of spell?" Demos shook his head, somewhat confused by Darken's suggestion.

"A very special spell," Darken grinned wickedly at his twin brother. "One that the Keeper himself has told me about."

XXX

Kahlan awoke with a shiver, suddenly noticing an arm around her waist and a body pressed firmly against her back. The arm tightened its hold on her causing her to involuntarily stiffen. She did her best to calm her suddenly pounding heart.

She silently looked around; afraid to move and disturb whoever it was that was lying behind her. She racked her brain, trying desperately to remember what had happened and why she was in this cave, but unfortunately everything was still so hazy.

She glanced down at the large hand resting firmly against her abdomen and flushed. It was his hand…Richard's hand. He was the firm warm body pressed against her back, his breath softly pulsating against her hair.

She swallowed hard, fighting back her rising emotions, the sense of arousal that heated her blood knowing that he was sleeping so close to her, their positions so personal, so very intimate. Why was she reacting like this? She shouldn't be responding in this way to his nearness, the feel of his body melded so perfectly with hers.

She needed to put some distance between them, get away from him. She knew so little about him, had so very few memories about him. The things that she did remember were just brief glimmering flashes of images, nothing more, nothing concrete on which to build a foundation on.

And now he was sleeping right next to her, his arm draped so affectionately over her. She couldn't let her mind wander, couldn't let the desire she found in her heart for him to grow any further. He didn't want to marry…especially her.

Kahlan felt Richard begin to shift behind her, a soft murmur escaping his lips, his hand sliding down to grasp her hip as he pressed himself even more fully into her. She squeezed her eyes closed against the sudden heated rush that flooded her veins, the moan that stuck in her throat.

She swiftly decided to move before she did something she shouldn't, carefully disengaging herself from his intimate hold on her. She moved to sit against the cave wall as Richard woke up, his striking brown eyes falling on her in confusion.

He quickly sat up, realization swiftly dawning on him. "Kahlan, I'm so sorry," he said, raking his fingers back through his hair as he fought to full wake. "You were shivering in your sleep last night and I couldn't risk rebuilding the fire so I slept next to you to keep you warm."

Kahlan felt herself drowning in his intense gaze, wanting to lose herself completely in him. She found herself drawn to him, the pull so overpowering at times. "No…it's alright," she softly said, averting her eyes. "Thank you. It was very kind of you."

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, his heart sinking as she looked away from him.

"A little better," she replied as she stood to her feet and began folding the green blanket.

Richard chuckled softly despite himself as he began putting his bedroll away. Kahlan paused to look at him, a frown forming on her face.

"What?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"Even without your memories, you're still a terrible liar," he told her.

Kahlan tilted her head as she fought to remember what incident he could be referring to, but nothing came to mind. Of course, not much was coming to her mind now. "I am?"

"Terrible," he confirmed with a definitive nod of his head, his eyes gleaming with amusement. It was something that she suddenly found she loved to see.

"Is there anything else about myself that I should know?" she lightly teased, unable to help herself as she gathered her things. She felt so at ease with him for some reason, so content. She couldn't imagine spending any time apart from him.

"Well, let's see," he thoughtfully replied, his worries dissipating for a moment in the wake of the unexpected familiarity that had suddenly developed between them. She was like herself again. "There's the way you always bite your bottom lip when you're unsure…you wrinkle your forehead when you're upset about something…you are a very stubborn person, and…"

"Wait," Kahlan frowned, straightening up to look at him. "Is there anything about me that is good?"

Richard stopped what he was doing to look at her, his face suddenly growing serious. "Kahlan, everything about you is so very good," he replied, sincerity in his every word.

His chestnut eyes were so intent, so honest that she found she couldn't look away from him even if she wanted to. It felt as though the temperature in the cave had more than doubled in that instant, a slow fiery burn erupting between them as they stared at one another with longing.

Kahlan was the first to look away, shyly tucking a lock of raven hair behind her ear as she averted her eyes. She didn't know what to think about what was happening now, this unexpected exchange between the two of them. She felt her pulse race, a fierce flutter in the pit of her stomach that she tried valiantly to push down, but refused to be smothered or ignored.

Richard noticed her sudden discomfort, the faint blush that rose to her cheeks. He fought to keep his boots firmly planted where he was despite the overwhelming urge to go to her, take her into his arms and kiss her breathless.

"We should get moving," he softly said, finishing gathering his things. "The sun will be up soon and so will the D'Harans out searching for us."

Kahlan nodded her head in agreement, the awkward tension between them almost suffocating. "Where are we going?"

"We have to go back to the Aku village to get Zedd and Cara," Richard informed her as he checked to make sure his sword was free in his scabbard. "Then we have to go after the Stone of Tears before it's too late. We're quickly running out of time to find the Stone."

"Zedd…Cara?" Kahlan softly murmured, her mind struggling to remember.

Richard looked up sharply. "Do you remember them?"

"Zedd…a Wizard…he's your grandfather …" she wistfully replied.

The Seeker released a sigh of relief. "Yes," he smiled, thankful that she remembered some things. Hopefully more would come with time, more memories that included him. "And Cara?"

"She's…a Mord'Sith," she said, noticing the sudden light that filled his eyes as her heart sank in her chest, mistaking his excitement over her remembering their friends as something else entirely. "Is she your lover?"

Richard's face turned from pleasure to complete shock. "What? No!" he exclaimed, stunned. "She's just a friend…nothing more."

Kahlan was taken aback by his adamant denial about his feelings for Cara…maybe a little too adamant. Did he feel more for Cara than he was willing to admit? "Oh…I see," she murmured, looking away. "We better go then if we are to meet up with your friends."

"Our friends, Kahlan," he firmly stated as he watched her. "I'm going to help you remember everything no matter what it takes or how long."

Kahlan silently nodded her head as she shouldered her pack. "Let's go before we're found."

"Are you able to keep going?" he asked, sensing her sudden change in mood. She was struggling with something more than just her lack of memories, something much deeper that she wasn't ready to talk about with him yet.

"Since I'm a terrible liar, I won't bother answering you," she said with a forced smile that never reached her blue eyes and yet Richard couldn't help but smile in return at her sudden mischief.

"Let's go then," he sadly smiled.

"And on the way, maybe you can help me remember why we need to find the Stone of Tears…and how we met," she added.

The hopefulness that filled her voice lightened his heavy heart a little as he began to move the branches away from the opening of the cave. If he could start at the beginning, the actual moment when his life truly began…the moment that she ran through his woods and right into his world…then hopefully her memories would finally return and she'd be his all over again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Cara knelt on the ground, her slender fingers lightly running over the footprints they'd been able to find. It had taken a long time, much longer than she had hoped, but they had finally been able to pick up on Richard and Kahlan's trail.

The Mord'Sith frowned to herself as she studied the tracks like Richard had taught her, trying to read exactly what had happened to them. Unfortunately, the picture that was being painted wasn't a very good one.

It looked as if Richard had gone after Kahlan, their tracks separate for a good portion of the way so far. Kahlan's tracks were weaving, irregular while Richard's were fast paced, desperate. It was obvious he had been fighting to catch up to her, to get to her in time to stop her before she reached Demos.

The thought of the marking spell taking full control of Kahlan, turning her against them. It only hardened her resolve to find them as soon as possible before Demos did something to them. If he hurt them, there would be no place he would be able to hid from her.

"What is it?" Zedd asked, coming to stand beside her.

Cara stood to her feet with a frustrated huff, hooking her blond hair behind her ears as she stared down at the tracks she'd been studying. "Kahlan's fully under Demos's control now I think," she informed him. "It looks like she stayed ahead of Richard who had been tracking her for some time. Hopefully he was able to get to her before she got to the People's Palace."

"Bags!" Zedd groused. "I was afraid of this."

"How are we going to be able to break Demos's hold on her now?"

"I don't know for sure," Zedd admitted. "I may have to go to Aydindril to the Wizard's Keep to see if I can find a way to break the spell."

"Zedd, we have less than a week to find the Stone of Tears," Cara reminded him. "Why does everyone keep forgetting the fact that we're all going to be slaves of the Keeper at this time next week if we don't seal the rifts?"

"We all haven't forgotten, my dear," Zedd reassured her. "Unfortunately, Demos has decided to interfere at the most inopportune time. We've got to get to Richard and force Kahlan to go with us. As soon as we find the Stone of Tears, then we can finally deal with Kahlan."

Cara stared at him, a skeptical expression gracing her face, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Do you really think that we'll be able to get her away from Demos and force her to go with us without being confessed?"

"No, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve as well," he smiled at her. "I didn't become a Wizard of the First Order without being able to come up with something pretty impressive now and then."

"You mean besides hog tying her and throwing her over your shoulder?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, no hog tying of anyone will be required," Zedd scowled.

"Well, we better find them soon or we won't have to worry about reversing the spell on Kahlan anymore," Cara reminded him. "We'll all be as good as dead when the Keeper and Darken Rahl arrive in the world of the living."

We'll find the stone in time," Zedd squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

"Glad you're so optimistic," she huffed with a roll of her green eyes.

"Mistress Cara! Wizard Zedd!"

Zedd and Cara turned to see an excited Tolla Nakunam coming towards them. Even though his voice was full of excitement, his expression was still dark with worry.

"What is it?" Cara asked, reaching for her agiels in preparation for a fight.

"Hadi and Temin were scouting up ahead and came across some Mord'Sith," he informed them, breathing heavily. "I'm afraid that they're all dead."

Cara and Zedd immediately took off after the Tolla, anxious to see what they had found. They worked their way through the dense brush, finally breaking free and finding themselves in a large grassy clearing. There were Mord'Sith lying on the ground, the stench of death filling their senses.

Zedd quickly covered his nose with his hand as he scanned the grisly scene that lay out before them, kneeling down beside a fallen body. It was obvious that animals had already helped themselves to the offering that had been left behind for them. It was a gruesome site to say the least, entrails spilling out of the badly dismembered bodies. Their only identifying characteristic was the red leather they wore.

Cara leased a sigh of relief. None of them appeared to be Richard or Kahlan. She frowned as she surveyed the site, trying to make sense of what could've happened here. So far, none of this was making any sense whatsoever.

"I don't understand this," Cara scowled. "Why would Demos send Mord'Sith after Richard and Kahlan if they were obviously already coming to him?"

"Maybe he couldn't wait any longer," Zedd suggested. "Perhaps he sent the Mord'Sith to bring them to him, but Richard and Kahlan refused to go."

"Maybe," Cara thoughtfully replied. "But it still doesn't make any sense. Kahlan wouldn't have refused to go if she was fully under the marking spell now."

"We probably won't know anything more until we find Seeker Richard and Confessor Kahlan," Tolla said, leaning on his bow as he studied the decaying corpse before him. "We should at least bury the bodies; keep them from being ravaged by any more wild animals."

Cara was taken aback by his suggestion. These were Mord'Sith, the Aku's enemy and yet he had compassion enough for her fallen Sisters to want to take the time to bury them properly.

"No, I'm afraid we don't have time," Zedd shook his head. "I'll use my Wizard's fire to burn them up so they won't be plundered by any more animals."

Tolla Nakunam drew a weary breath before nodding his head in agreement. Seeing death like this was never easy even for an Aku warrior. He would be happy when things would finally be at peace, but understood Richard and Kahlan's battle needed to continue for the time being in order to ensure peace in the future.

He watched as Wizard's fire burst from Zedd's hands, setting each corpse on fire. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as well as his nostrils. He cast a glance at his warriors standing by and watching with amazement as Zedd burned the bodies.

The expression that filled Hadi's face caused a cold chill to shiver through him. It was one of joy as hatred blazed in his dark eyes. It caused Tolla to straighten up as he studied him, his warrior's sick delight with the death of these Mord'Sith saddening his heart.

He had hoped to be able to help Hadi, to help him learn to control his temper and not live with the bitterness and hatred that he allowed to fill his heart. He felt as though he was making no progress with the young man especially after seeing him now.

Tolla Nakunam drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he thought through ways that he could get through to Hadi. He knew that the situation with Pasha being betrothed to Athanas had done little to help settle his angry heart. If anything, things had only gotten much worse.

He was beginning to think that maybe he was going to have to remove Hadi from the warrior hunting party. He hated to do that because he was a very gifted hunter and spearman, but he could not continue to sit back and allow this young man go on like this.

He was going to have to talk with Mitta when they returned after finding Richard and Kahlan. Decisions regarding Hadi would have to be made unless he somehow managed to prove himself during this time away.

XXX

Richard quickly ducked low to the ground, shifting silently towards the safety of a nearby tree and using its broad limbs to help shadow his presence. He quickly turned to look back over his shoulder at Kahlan to find her hunched down as well, her hands already reaching for her daggers.

He had hoped to avoid any interaction with the D'Haran soldiers or Mord'Sith, but at this point it was beginning to be a venture in futility. He drew further back behind the tree, hugging the trunk at the muted sound of a snapping branch, at the sudden stillness that seemed to settle over the forest.

The birds and forest animals seemed to have sensed the intruders, the impending danger creeping upon them as well. The silence was ominous, eerie. The fine hairs on the back of his neck bristled as he held his breath in anticipation of a bloody showdown, his fingers absentmindedly circling the hilt of his sword as he waited.

Even though they had managed to escape the prison like fortress of the People's Palace, they were far from any sort of freedom.

Kahlan waited behind Richard, daggers clutched fiercely in his hands and prepared to fight despite feeling like she'd been dragged to the Underworld and back by her heels. Although still exhausted, she at least didn't feel like she was going to pass out like she did yesterday.

Her senses were on high alert as they waited, her blue eyes darting about making sure no one was attempting to sneak up from behind or from the side, taking them unaware.

She could feel her instincts kicking in regardless of her lack of memories. This all felt so familiar to her somehow, seemed right in some way that she didn't quite understand. She somehow knew that there were daggers hidden in her boots and waiting to be used, her fingers itching to confess someone.

She just wished she could remember how Richard fit into her life, what the nature of their relationship was and why she had such intense feelings for him…feelings that he didn't share.

Richard internally cringed when he suddenly caught site of red leather among the foliage of the forest, his hand tightening its grip on the hilt of his sword. He cast a glance over his shoulder at Kahlan, his expression stern.

"Stay here," he whispered to her, wanting to keep her out of this for as long as possible.

Kahlan frowned, not liking this one bit. She shook her head no; not wanting to stay behind if there was going to be a fight. She wasn't about to just sit back and let him throw himself into a deadly fight. They were in this together…that much she did know.

"Kahlan," he softly hissed. "Stay here."

She glared at him, but finally nodded in agreement. She would stay put for the moment, but that did not mean that she wouldn't jump in later if he was in trouble. Watching him as he silently crept out from his hiding place; she wondered why he was so worried about her. They were just friends and besides it wasn't like she couldn't handle herself if it came down to it.

She may not be completely recovered from whatever it was that had happened to her, but that didn't mean that she couldn't do something to help or take out a couple of Mord'Sith. She didn't have her full strength back yet, but she was far from helpless.

She fumed as he slipped as silently as if he was actually a part of the forest that surrounded them, moving with such stealth and ease it was almost as if he had grown up among the trees. He was truly amazing to watch as he positioned himself behind the four Mord'Sith who were obviously searching for them.

"Looking for something, ladies?" Richard asked, taking them by surprise.

All four Sisters of the Agiel spun on their heels, their agiels fisted tightly in preparation for a fight. "So confident that you're going to escape us aren't you, Seeker?" one of the red leather clad females asked with a tilt of her blond head. "Lord Rahl has a special meeting planned for you and the Mother Confessor."

"You'll have to give him our apologies, but we won't be attending," Richard replied with an amused smile, but his dark brown eyes were anything but as he glowered at them.

A black haired Mord'Sith turned to look about them, appearing bored. "And where is the Mother Confessor hiding?" she asked. "Too afraid to face us?"

"Kahlan is my business, not yours," he ground out. "Now, let us pass through and you won't have to die today."

All four Mord'Sith broke out into laughter, amused by the Seeker's proposition. "It is considered a great honor for a Mord'Sith to die in the line of duty," the blond retorted. "Besides, we'd rather die here today than to return to Lord Demos empty-handed, but we don't need to worry about that. You and the Mother Confessor will be coming with us."

"Think again," Richard heatedly muttered as he lunged for them, taking on all four Mord'Sith by himself.

Kahlan watched with bated breath, barely able to keep her boots planted firmly where she waited for him. She internally recoiled at the site of the agiel being slammed into Richard's back as he sliced through one Mord'Sith only to be attacked by the remaining three like a pack of gars.

He gritted his teeth as he locked his knees, refusing to be brought down as he quickly spun around, the hilt of his sword coming down hard on top of the head of the black haired Mord'Sith. She crumbled to the ground in an unconscious heap as the other two slammed their agiels into his body.

Richard cried out from the pain, unable to contain the scream that tore from his throat. He could feel his entire body spasm with the excruciating pain that ripped through him like torrential waves. His legs suddenly gave out, dropping him to his knees, but he refused to let go of his sword.

He finally managed to get a swing of his blade in, taking out the third Mord'Sith as two more Mord'Sith appeared out of nowhere, rushing to their Sisters' aid. Panting heavily, Richard worked his way back onto his feet in time to see Kahlan rush in from behind the two new Mord'Sith, her daggers imbedded in their backs as they fell to their deaths.

Kahlan swiftly recovered her daggers, raising a boot to the face to the last Mord'Sith. Richard ran to her aid, his blade plunging deep into Mistress's back and taking her by surprise. Breathing hard, he bent over to wipe his blade before sheathing it.

"Why did you do that?" he snapped as he straightened up. "I told you to stay where you were. I could handle it."

Kahlan glared at him as she sheathed her daggers. "I'm not helpless so stop treating me like I am," she scowled at him. "Besides, I wasn't going to just stand by and let you be killed by them."

"I've handled worse odds," he heatedly stated.

"I wouldn't know," she angrily reminded him, her sapphire eyes flashing. "I have no memories of those events."

They stood there for a long moment just glaring angrily at one another, both trying to catch their breath from the threat they'd just eliminated. Richard finally looked away, his hands finding his hips as he glanced at the bodies littering the ground.

"We need to keep moving," he finally said. "There will be many more coming."

"Let's go then…unless of course you think I am incapable of walking without hurting myself," Kahlan replied, her hands finding her hips as well as they faced off against one another.

"Fine, let's go," Richard snapped, turning on his heel to go retrieve their packs.

"Fine," she spat out with equal venom, irritated with his unnecessary coddling.

Kahlan huffed under her breath as she watched him gather up their packs, folding her arms against her chest in heated frustration. She couldn't let him see how fatigued she was, how her entire body was screaming at her or his over-protectiveness would only grow even worse.

She was going to have to prove to him that even though she didn't have all of her memories, she still knew what she was doing and could handle herself. She couldn't let her exhaustion show. She was going to have to push herself harder than ever before to prove herself to him.

Richard snatched up their packs with a low growl of heated frustration. Kahlan had picked the worst time for her stubbornness to show itself. He knew in normal circumstances that she was more than capable of handling herself, but this was anything but a normal situation.

They were in a fight for their very lives right now, the need to find the Stone of Tears growing more desperate with every passing day. The fact that Kahlan didn't have her memories wasn't helping things in the least or the fact that she didn't know that they were lovers.

It was growing harder and harder to be so near her and not hold her or kiss her, difficult to control the overwhelming desire to pull her down and make love to her until neither one of them could move anymore.

Slinging his pack over his shoulder, Richard looked up to find her intense blue eyes focused solely on him, her expression one of pure frustration. He felt his heart skip a beat with the intensity of her gaze, his anger cooling somewhat as it was replaced by another more powerful pull of emotion.

He knew how very difficult all of this must be for her, not having any idea about everything that was going on, the dire situation they were truly in. Their future together as well as everyone else's was in terrible danger of becoming nonexistent if they didn't find that stone soon.

He made his way to her, releasing a ragged breath as he handed Kahlan her pack. "Look, Kahlan," he began. "I'm…"

The sound of a low growl caused them both to freeze where they stood. Richard instantly grew tense with the unusual noise. It was a sound that he had never heard before, one that made his skin crawl with apprehension.

"Richard," Kahlan murmured as she slowly looked around her. "What was that?"

"I don't know, but we're not going to stay here to find out," Richard replied, taking her hand and leading her away.

Several feet away, a set of brightly glowing green eyes peered out from the foliage. Its lips slowly curled back into a fierce snarl, its razor sharp teeth bared as its gaze followed its prey.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Mistress Lucinda felt stiff and sore all over, her entire body screaming out at her from the severe abuse she had taken from her Lord Rahl last night. She did her best to keep her movements fluid, but it was more than difficult given the agonizing pain that she was still in.

Despite her Mord'Sith training and determination, it still managed to take her breath away at times.

She held her head up high as she marched through the halls of the People's Palace in search of her Lord Rahl. She needed to talk to him, to tell him of her plans. She was pretty certain that he wouldn't deny her this especially after last night. He should be in a very good mood, exhausted but relaxed.

She smiled smugly as those who passed by her openly gawked at her numerous bruises and scratches. They had not been chosen to pleasure the Lord Rahl. No one could do for him what she could. He needed her more than even he truly understood, but in time she'd help him see that.

Lucinda nodded at Demos's personal guards who nodded knowingly in return. Not all Mord'Sith were allowed to enter the Lord Rahl's private sanctuary unrequested or unannounced, but Lucinda had long ago been granted such special privileges.

She entered to find the room dimly lit by candles scattered throughout. She came to an abrupt stop, instantly bristling at the site that greeted her. Demos was sitting in a chair, his head thrown back in rapture, his hands tightly gripping the arms of the chair while Mistress Natalie kneeled before him, pleasuring him.

Her hands balled into tight fists as she stared at the erotic scene before her. Hadn't she just given him everything that he had needed and so very much more last night?

She could barely walk today because of him, was still bleeding because of his vicious assault. And now he was with someone else. She ground her teeth to keep from screaming as she watched unashamed, enraged.

Her vision blurred with wrath as Demos began to moan Kahlan's name over and over again, his hands moving to grip in Natalie's head. Lucinda began to tremble as he released, his gasping cry filling the air and echoing in her ears.

She listened to his greedy pants for air, his low chuckle of pleasure as he praised Natalie for her supreme skill. He suddenly looked up at that moment as he adjusted his breeches, a look of sly knowing filling his dark gaze.

"Enjoy the show?" he smugly grinned at her. "You could've joined us you know, but I didn't think you'd be feeling up to any more…excitement…just yet."

Lucinda just stood there staring at him, speechless as rage roiled through her at that moment. She wanted to break his neck and yet she suddenly found herself greatly aroused at the same time as Natalie made a quick exit.

She silently cursed that man for the intense emotions that he could stir deep within her.

She stood frozen in place as Demos slowly made his way to her, his intense gaze still clouded with euphoria locked solely on her as if there was no one else in the world as he drew near to her. Coming to a stop directly before her, he stared deep into her eyes, his hand coming up to touch her.

Lucinda involuntarily flinched with his sudden movement, tensing in anticipation of the pain that she was about to receive. She released a soft breath as he gently ran the tips of his fingers along the curve of her face with a tenderness that surprised her, unexpectedly melting her rage.

"Glad to see that you are out and about," Demos smirked something wicked at her. "After last night, I was worried that you wouldn't survive our little…encounter."

"I'm stronger than you think, Lord Demos," she evenly stated, turning her head to capture a finger with her mouth.

She teased his finger, swirling her tongue around it before sucking hard and earning a low strangled moan. She slowly pulled back releasing the wet digit, blowing softly as she stared at him with heated lust brimming in her eyes.

"You are such a naughty little tease," Demos breathed hard as he studied her. "Already begging to be punished all over again even after pushing you to the limits last night."

"Your pleasure brings me pleasure," she purred, slowly dragging her tongue across her lower lip.

Demos's hungry gaze wandered over the countless bruises that marred her face, the scratches and bite marks that he had created on her fair skin. For a brief flickering moment, he felt a small pang of guilt…regret for hurting her, but the uncomfortable feeling quickly passed much to his relief.

Was he actually growing feelings for this woman?"

"Any update on the Seeker and Confessor?" Lucinda asked, wanting to get down to business before any more pleasure. Besides, she could barely stand upright at that moment let alone walk now as it was, any more "special attention" from him possibly leading to irreparable damage.

She watched as his eyes grew dangerously dark, causing a shiver to lance up her spine. "Nothing as of yet, but I have done something that will help ensure my success," he told her with a pleased smile.

Lucinda frowned with the unexpected news. "What have you done?"

Demos turned away from her, stroking his goatee as his mind replayed the events. "Sealed a deal with my dear deceased twin brother," he replied, a self-satisfied leer in his eyes as his gaze roamed over her perfect curves. "Let's just say that he has access to some things that I do not have here in the world of the living."

"Like what?" she asked, still skeptical.

"Askar," he simply said.

Lucinda felt her heart leap into her throat with the name that she had thought was only a myth of the darkest occult legends. Just the sound of the name alone made her skin crawl, memories of the horrifying stories she had heard as a child resurfacing in her mind.

She could scarcely believe what he had just done.

XXX

Kahlan couldn't help the shiver of dread that swept through her as she cast a nervous glance back over her shoulder again. She couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of trepidation that had settled over her since their encounter with the Mord'Sith a couple of hours ago.

It was more than just the fact her memories were so scattered and limited. Someone or something was definitely following them and had been for a little while. She swore she could feel the unseen predator's eyes boring straight into her at every turn.

She cast a glance at Richard, wondering if he had sensed its presence as well. He held his body stiffly, his expression tense. His dark chocolate eyes were razor sharp, his hand firmly gripping his sword as he moved deftly through the forest as if he had always lived here.

Kahlan quickened her step to stay closer to him as she looked back over her shoulder again. They hadn't spoken since their argument after the clash with the Mord'Sith, each preoccupied with their own thoughts and feeling about what had happened.

She found herself more confused than ever about what she felt for him. The things that he had said to that vendor and the way he acted around her were puzzling to her. She couldn't figure out what was going on with him.

Unable to bear it a moment longer, she finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Richard, I think someone is following us."

Richard could hear the fear in her voice, but kept his focus straight ahead as he responded to her. "We are being followed," he confirmed, keeping his focus on the forest that surrounded them. "It's been tracking us ever since we fought the Mord'Sith."

"For that long?" Kahlan exclaimed, stunned by how calm Richard was. It made no sense. "Why don't we try losing them?"

"I have been trying," he tightly informed her. "I've changed our direction several times and have even doubled back a couple of times, but it's still following us. For some reason, it's tracking us but keeping its distance."

"Who do you think it could be?" she frowned, hooking her hair behind her ear.

"Whatever is following us, it isn't human," he replied.

The concern that filled his voice did nothing to settle her rising fear. "Richard…" she began as she nervously looked around them.

Richard finally allowed himself to look at her and was taken aback by the fear that seemed to encompass her. He had been so consumed with trying to figure out what was following them that he had somehow forgotten the fact that Kahlan was not herself yet, was still so unfamiliar with everything that was going on around them.

He suddenly paused, grabbing her arm and pulling her to a stop as well. "Kahlan, it'll be alright," he promised her. "I'll get to the bottom of what's going. I won't let anything happen to you."

Her breath caught in her chest at the intensity that she found swimming in his eyes, the look of concern on his face. She felt such an overwhelming desire to kiss him, but kept her boots firmly planted on the ground where she stood.

Without thinking, Richard reached for her hand, taking it in his as he moved to stand even closer to her. Everything inside of him screamed to kiss her and hold nothing back, but he couldn't do that to her when she had no memory of what they truly meant to each other.

His thumb brushed along the back of her hand, sending a current of electricity up his arm. He could see the fatigue weighing heavily on her, but they needed to keep moving.

"Trust me, Kahlan," he softly said. "I will take care of you."

"I know," she smiled as she lost herself in the powerful tension that seemed to surge through them and around them. "I do trust you."

Richard's heart stuttered in his chest as she gave him the smile he gave no other but him. He didn't know if she was even aware she was doing it, but it meant everything to him in that moment, suddenly giving him the strength to press on.

The sound of a low growl in the distance caused them both to snap out of the intense moment. Richard quickly looked back in the direction of the sound, his raptor gaze attempting to slice through the dense foliage that obscured their predator from view.

"Come," he whispered. "We need to keep moving."

Kahlan was suddenly sad the moment between them had passed, causing him to release his hold on her hand. Her skin still felt warm where he had touched her, her desire for him to touch more of her suddenly awakening and rising like a fierce tidal wave within her. She couldn't stop the flutter in the pit of her stomach as she followed him, wishing more than anything that her memories would return.

Richard drew a ragged breath, raking his fingers back through his hair as he tried to get a grip on his emotions. He had to stop thinking about kissing Kahlan and worry about getting her memories back for her. Not to mention, he needed to find a way to shake whatever it was that was following them.

He hated to think of what it could be. Whatever it was that was making those horrifying sounds was nothing that he had ever heard before in his entire life. It almost sounded other worldly, its low growl haunting and sending a shiver up his spine.

He had a terrible feeling something had happened or changed and not for the better. He had the sick feeling that they were not only being hunted by the D'Haran soldiers and Mord'Sith, but now something altogether different was pursuing them.

He shuddered to think what it could be now. All he knew was every time he tried to head back towards the Aku village, the thing that was following them would close in on them, forcing him to alter their course and head back in the direction of the People's Palace.

He had a sneaking suspicion that Demos was somehow behind all of this. He wished that Zedd was here with them now to help see if magic was at play like he suspected it was.

Something inside suddenly struck him, telling him that things were definitely changing. His hand immediately went to his vest pocket as he guided Kahlan through a thick cover of brush in hopes of obscuring their tracks. Pulling the compass out, he flipped it open to find it glowing brighter than it ever had before, that metal unusually warm to the touch.

He felt a tremor of excitement flood him, his hope rising that they were closer to finding the Stone of Tears. If he was this close to finding it then going back for Zedd and Cara would have to wait for now.

Finding the stone and sealing the rifts was by far more important than anything at this point, even getting Kahlan's memories back. If he didn't stop this…Richard shuddered to think what the Keeper would do to Kahlan, to him.

"What is that?"

The sound of Kahlan's voice broke him free from his thoughts. "It's a compass. It's going to help us find the Stone of Tears."

"The Stone of Tears," Kahlan softly repeated. "I know I should remember what that is, but I just can't."

He could hear the frustration in her voice, making him feel so helpless to make it any better for her. He couldn't begin to imagine how disconcerting it must be to not be able to remember much of anything, huge gaps of her life missing.

It hurt him deeply to see her struggling to remember, to know that she had no memory of meeting him, falling in love or making love with him in the Aku village. She meant everything in the world to him and she had no memory of it.

"I'll help you regain you're memories one way or another, Kahlan," he reassured her. "I'll rebuild every single memory if I have to in order to help you remember."

Kahlan smiled despite her frustration, his fierce determination making her heart suddenly feel much lighter than it had been. He truly was a very good friend and yet she couldn't help wishing for something more.

"Why do we need to find the Stone of Tears?" she asked, her hand instinctively reaching out towards a tree trunk to steady herself as they moved over the rocky uneven ground.

Richard released a disheartened breath with the unpleasant memories that resurfaced with her innocent question, reminding him of both his victory and his failure. "How much do you remember about Darken Rahl?" he asked, his brow furrowed in thought as he focused his gaze on the rough terrain.

It felt good to be talking to her again. The silence that had settled over them after the fight with the Mord'Sith had filled him with a sense of loneliness and longing for her despite the fact that she had been walking with him the whole time. It didn't feel right not to talk or laugh with her.

Kahlan thought for a long moment before finally responding, her lips pursed with the heavy weight of frustration he knew that she was struggling with. "I remember he was a wicked tyrant," she slowly began as she tried to sort through the vast array of images that spun through her mind providing her with only fractured glimpses into a life that didn't feel like hers. "He…he hunted us, tried to keep us from stopping him, but I…"

Her voice suddenly broke off as she growled under breath in heated irritation, angry with herself that she couldn't recall more. Richard placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"It'll come, Kahlan," he comforted her. "You just need to give it some time."

Her eyes fell to his hand resting on her shoulder, her insides flushing warmly with his nearness and his touch. Noticing the bewildered look that filled her face, he quickly removed his hand, mistaking her reaction to his touch.

"It's just so infuriating," she huffed, her hands subconsciously curling into fists. "All I have are hazy flashes of memories that are all jumbled and scattered. It's like I have a vague understanding of who people are, but I can't fully grasp hold of it or figure out how it all fits together. I know you said we're close friends, but I…I want to know more."

"I'll tell you everything that you want to know," he replied, sharing her anger with the situation.

He was beyond furious that their love had been nearly destroyed, but he wouldn't stop until he'd helped her discover it again. It felt like every time they got one step closer to the life that he wanted to share with her, something or someone forced them three steps back.

He already knew in his heart, though, he'd fight forever just for a chance to be with her again.

Sensing his anger, Kahlan changed the subject, not wanting to upset him further. "So tell me about this Stone of Tears," she said, casting another nervous glance back over her shoulder, trying desperately to catch just a glimpse of whatever was following them. She couldn't shake the sense of dark foreboding that had wrapped itself so firmly around her.

Richard sighed heavily, almost fearing what Kahlan would think of him knowing these rifts and the looming threat of the Keeper was all because of him. "See those rifts in the ground?" he pointed to a tear in the earth's crust.

Kahlan nodded slowly in acknowledgement as she stared at the eerie green smoke and fire that spewed from the fracture. "I wondered what those were."

"They're because of me," he softly admitted. "In my attempt to stop Darken Rahl, I accidently tore the veil that separates the Underworld from the world of the living and now the Keeper can escape if I don't find the Stone of Tears and make it right again."

Kahlan could feel his guilt and fury, the tremendous burden that he carried on his shoulders. Her heart felt heavy for him, an ache erupting inside of her for the weight that he obviously carried. She wanted to badly to make it better for him.

It was her turn to attempt to bring comfort and reassurance as her hand found his arm, squeezing it tenderly and bringing him to an abrupt stop. "I may not remember everything or much about you, but I do know in my heart that you are a very good man, Richard, and you will find a way to stop all of this from happening," she told him, her special smile finding her lips for the second time that morning. "And I'll do everything I can to help you. We're a team, right?"

Richard felt his heart begin to race with her obvious concern, the feel of her hand on his arm and the smile that lit his whole world. He suddenly felt as though he could take on the Keeper himself and his whole army of banelings.

He found himself being drawn closer to her, his body moving of its own accord by the powerful attraction between them. She didn't flinch or draw away as he slowly began to close the distance that separated them.

He could no longer ignore the desperate urge to kiss her, to tell her she owned his heart and he hers. "Kahlan…" he softly murmured as he gazed into her sapphire eyes that sparkled with the breathtaking spirit that lived within her.

Before he could say another word, before his lips could even touch hers, the growl that had followed them suddenly turned into a fierce howl that nearly shook the leaves free from the surrounding trees, causing them both to freeze.

Richard quickly pulled away, the sound of his sword's release filling the air as responses to the lone howl seemed to erupt all around them in a haunting cacophony of pure evil.

They were surrounded by something that Richard couldn't even begin to imagine.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Mistress Lucinda kept her gaze lowered as Darken Rahl's image appeared in the flames of the fire before Lord Demos. She felt a cold chill shiver up her spine with her dead Lord's presence. She hated magic especially dark occult magic gleaned from the vile depths of the Underworld.

"Brother," Darken Rahl greeted his twin with a gracious dip of his head. "Good to see you again."

"And you, brother," Demos smiled slyly.

"Lucinda," Darken called the Mord'Sith's name taking her by surprise that he would actually acknowledge her. "Always a great pleasure. I take it she is still a virtual untamed animal in the bedchambers."

Lucinda's hot glare rose to meet Darken's leering dark smirk. Although twins sharing the same handsome good looks, they were absolutely nothing alike. Darken had no soul at all while his twin Demos did.

Demos chuckled knowingly in response to his brother's words. "I see why you kept her close. She's unbelievably…agile…I'll say. She is a very talented lover."

Darken's depraved laughter rolled through the room in vivid remembrance. "That she is, dear brother," he grinned as he leered at the auburn haired Mord'Sith. "That she most definitely is. What I wouldn't give for just a small taste of your talents again, Lucinda."

Demos's face suddenly grew serious, wanting to get to the reason for this touching reunion. "Any word on Richard and Kahlan yet?" he asked.

"No, nothing to report, but I assure you things are well in hand," Darken replied. "We will all get what we want by the time this is all over and done with."

"How much control do you actually have over Askar?"

"Enough," Darken tersely replied with mild irritation at being questioned, his hungry gaze returning to Lucinda and the pleasures she could provide.

Demos stepped closer, annoyed with his brother's preoccupation with his favorite Mord'Sith. "I want a guarantee this will work," Demos stated, his dark eyes flashing in warning. "I don't want to waste my time over a silly little plan just so the Keeper can finally be set free from the Underworld. I have bigger plans than him."

Darken arched an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by his bold audacity. "I wouldn't be quite so flippant about the Keeper if I were you, brother," Darken counseled him. "Once the Keeper is ruler over the world of the living, you will find yourself kneeling before your new master."

Demos scowled darkly. "I bow to no one least of all the Keeper."

Darken visibly stiffened even though it was only an apparition. "Watch your tongue, Demos," Darken bit out. "It is he who helps you now. I suggest that you show him the respect he is due. I won't be able to protect you once he's finally freed from his prison."

"I appreciate your concern, brother, but I assure you I am quite able to take care of myself. The Keeper shouldn't underestimate me."

Darken's lips twitched with the anger within and yet there was a small part of him that was impressed with his twin's impudence. He had long ago sold his soul to the Keeper and was now paying a very high price for that decision, one that he since come to greatly regret.

"Just keep your thoughts regarding the Keeper to yourself," he finally said. "I'd hate for you to be caught in the line of fire when the Keeper is finally free from the Underworld. I can only do so much to protect you."

"Once again, your concern is touching, Darken," Demos dryly responded. "How much longer before Askar does his job?"

"Shouldn't be too much longer," Darken sighed. "Be patient, brother. In a few more days, we'll all have what we want."

"Kahlan will finally be mine then," Demos smirked. "Kahlan is going to plead for death that will never be granted and I plan on making Richard wish he'd never been born."

XXX

Kahlan immediately reached for her daggers with the sense of danger pressing in on them from every side. She turned so her back was close to Richard's, keeping careful watch from behind for a surprise attack.

"Richard, what do we do?" she asked, trying desperately to keep her fear from running wild.

"Stay close to me," he ordered her, gripping his sword tightly.

"No problem," Kahlan muttered under breath as they began to move through the woods, her heart pounding beneath her breast.

A shiver raced up her spine as the growls surrounding them began to grow louder, more ferocious. She could hear the snapping of branches and twigs as something worked its way closer to them from behind. The forest suddenly seemed darker, the air cooler as unseen eyes seemed to narrow in on them.

"Richard," Kahlan murmured his name her blue-eyed gaze narrowing on the dense undergrowth behind them, needing his reassurance now more than ever.

Hearing the fear rising in her voice, Richard grabbed her arm, pulling her even closer to him as he scanned the surrounding foliage. The fine hairs on the back of his neck bristled as he began to move them deeper into the woods, his mind racing to find a way out of this.

Kahlan had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that they weren't going to survive this. Tears began to burn in her throat with the thought of dying and not having remembered her life or anything about the man next to her now.

It wasn't fair. Why would the good spirits allow this to happen? Was there something that she wasn't meant to remember? Was she not supposed to feel such strong feelings for Richard?

She already knew that Richard didn't feel more than friendship towards her, but then sometimes he would get this look in his eye when he stared at her and she couldn't help but wonder.

Her breathing grew more ragged as she worked to keep up with Richard's quickening pace, wondering how much longer they could keep this up. She batted branches out of her way, nearly tripping over a tree root that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

She risked a quick glance over her shoulder as the sounds of pursuit grew ever louder. Her blood began to pounding in her ears just as loudly as her boots were beating against the forest floor. She tightened her hold on her daggers, the sweat forming on her palms making them slippery, but they couldn't afford to stop or relax their hurried pace now.

It felt as though death itself was breathing hot and heavy against the backs of the necks, its acrid stench filling their nostrils and following their every turn through the dense foliage in their efforts to escape capture.

Her throat was a desert as she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, her heart hammering from either fear or the adrenaline rush she wasn't certain but was probably an equal combination of both.

Kahlan gave Richard a sidelong glance, his handsome face drawn into a fierce scowl that caused gooseflesh to ripple up her arms. It was obvious his mind was at work trying to figure a way out of this. She felt a sudden unexpected peace encompass her as she looked at him, a feeling of comfort mingled with love and longing.

Even though she didn't remember everything about him, she knew in her heart that he would take care of her, that he did care about her even if it was only as a friend. Although it saddened her deeply that there wasn't more between them, she was happy to at least have his friendship.

It took everything inside of Richard to keep from grabbing Kahlan and taking off in a dead run. As it was, their prolonged rushed pace was becoming draining, but he knew they couldn't stop and a full on run would only provoke whatever was chasing them even further.

They were going to have to do something soon. A part of him wanted to just make a stand and fight, but yet feared doing that without having some sort of idea what they were fighting against. Besides, Kahlan was not in any shape for a big fight no matter how ready she thought she was.

She didn't have her memories back and therefore he couldn't fully rely on her yet to have his back like she always used to when they were in a fight for their lives. Would she even remember the battle skills that she had been taught as a young girl?

Not to mention, he could tell by the way that she was carrying herself that exhaustion was still weighing heavily on her. Her movements weren't as fluid or precise as was usual for her, her reaction time slightly off.

Richard knew that he needed to get her some place safe where she could finally rest and regain her strength, but they didn't have time especially if they were this close to finding the Stone of Tears. He had a nagging feeling that whatever was chasing them was related to the Keeper as more and more rifts broke through the earth's crust all over now more frequently than ever before.

And if not from the Keeper himself, then this was definitely from his wicked brother Demos.

He growled under his breath, silently cursing himself once more for not taking the time to remove Demos's head from his shoulders when he'd had the chance, but he had been too worried about getting Kahlan out of there before they had been caught.

He couldn't let Demos or the Keeper get their hands on Kahlan. He quickly scanned the area that surrounded them, desperately searching for some sort of escape.

The snarls and snapping of teeth was growing raucous by the moment though he had not actually caught a glimpse yet of what was hunting them down. He knew it was an animal of some kind, but the type of animal was still a complete mystery.

He had a horrible feeling it was an animal that he had never encountered before and likely never would again.

Sweat began to trickle down his neck and back as he careened around thick tree trunks that stood as towering obstacles attempting to slow or impede their escape. Low lying branches were quickly slapped out of the way, sticks cracking loudly and giving way beneath stomping boots as they began to move faster.

Richard glanced back to see the brush they'd just passed through rustling and trembling violently with the beast's presence. His dark brown eyes narrowed in an effort to catch even a fleeting glimpse of it, but couldn't risk falling and breaking a leg or they were truly done for.

He caught a flash of yellow razor sharp teeth breaking through the overgrown undergrowth. His breath caught sharply in his chest as the site of them. Whatever was chasing them was absolutely massive and hunting for the kill.

"Kahlan…run!" he ordered her, picking up his pace.

She didn't need question it, but took off after her Seeker. The sound of alarm in his voice told her things were rapidly growing more desperate. She looked back over her shoulder only to get caught by a thorny fire bush, grabbing hold of her clothes and refusing to let go.

She gritted her teeth as the thorns dug into her flesh as she attempted to pull herself free from the bush only to have its thorns claw even deeper as the sounds of the beast grew louder. She jerked her arm hard, trying to gain her freedom only to find herself that much more entangled in the thorns.

Richard suddenly looked back to find Kahlan caught by a fire bush, desperately fighting to pull her sleeve free. "Kahlan!" he cried, turning to race back for her.

The ferocious snarling grew more intense, its growl rolling like thunder and causing the very ground to almost tremble. The pack of beasts was closing in on them, the jarring rumble of their battle cries vibrating in Richard's chest.

Kahlan's eyes grew wide as she saw Richard coming back for her. "No…go!" she yelled at him as she frantically pulled on the material caught by the bush. "Save yourself!"

"I'm not going anywhere without you," he snapped, using the tip of his sword to cut the material free.

He swiftly snatched up her hand and took off running again just as the creature broke through the trees, but he didn't stop to see what it was that was after them. It was more important to get Kahlan out of here and away from the beast.

Kahlan ignored the pain that burned up her arm, the toxin from the fire bush's thorns making her skin feel as though she'd been set on fire. Running behind Richard, she felt like her legs were turning to lead, her body fighting to not give out.

It felt like they'd been running nonstop for days instead of hours, her lungs burning like the fire in her arm. She felt a rush of nausea rise up in her throat from the fiery pain in her arm. She could feel blood beginning to drip down her arm as she ran, but she needed to keep up with Richard.

"Richard," she panted heavily. "I…I can't keep…going…much longer."

"I know," he replied, breathing just as heavily, his ears perking up as he caught a familiar sound. "Just hang on…a little longer. I've got an idea."

Kahlan felt a wave of relief wash over her, her muscles beginning to feel like jelly and threatening to give out on her at any moment. She was surprised when Richard abruptly turned to the left, pulling her along with him.

She had no idea where he was going or what his plan was, but she knew that she trusted him with her whole heart.

Finally breaking through the trees, they came to an abrupt stop at the edge of a high cliff. Richard looked up at the sun's position in the sky to find it was already approaching late afternoon. They had spent the better part of the day trying to outrun the beast and its companions that were keeping them from getting back to Zedd and Cara or from finding the Stone of Tears. It only served to further confirm his suspicions that Demos and the Keeper was behind all of this.

Right now, though, he had just led them to a dead-end with no place to go but down to the river below or the way they had just come.

"Over there!" Kahlan cried, pointing to her right.

Richard followed where she was pointing, noticing a worn bridge further down. He immediately took off after Kahlan who was already running towards it. He didn't need to turn around as he ran to know that the creatures were closing in on them. He could feel it as if they had become his shadow, dark and vile and chilling him to the very marrow of his bones.

It was if the arm of the Keeper himself had reached up out of the pits of the Underworld to try to grab hold of them, to rip Kahlan away from his life and stop him from finishing his quest. He couldn't allow that to happen to matter what.

It was who had begun this horrifying nightmare so many months ago and it was he who was going to finish this even if it took his life to do it.

"Careful!" he yelled as Kahlan finally reached the bridge, fear rising as he got a better look at it.

It was an old rope bridge, the strands frayed in spots from the elements and frequent use. He didn't fully trust it to hold them, but they had little choice at this point. It was either take their chances with the bridge or the creature that was hunting them down.

He watched as Kahlan tested her weight, trying it with her boot first as she grabbed hold of the rope railing. She appeared just as fearful as he was, but pressed on despite her concerns about its stability. He quickly began to follow her, keeping a close eye on her, ready to catch her if she lost her footing, but there really wasn't much he could do but follow her down into the rushing river several hundred feet below them.

He risked a glimpse back over his shoulder to see the brush shaking, but his attention was quickly drawn back to Kahlan as she cried out when her foot slipped causing her to lose her balance. She swiftly compensated, regaining her stability without his help and pressing forward.

"Keep going, Kahlan!" he yelled to her over the noise of the rushing water below. "You're almost there!"

Kahlan's chest was tight with panic, refusing to look down for fear she'd become paralyzed and unable to move. All she knew was that she had to keep moving or she and Richard were as good as dead. She refused to be the reason that Richard failed in his mission or lost his life. She couldn't bear the thought.

She quickened her pace, glancing back to make sure that Richard was keeping up with her. He was several feet back, his focus solely on her right now as her boot finally touched safely on the ground. She quickly turned around, reaching out towards Richard.

"Come on!" she cried, her eyes suddenly torn from him as the creatures broke through the forest and raced towards to the bridge, her heart nearly stopping. "Dear Spirits!"

The sheer terror that filled Kahlan's eyes caused Richard's heart to freeze in his chest as she turned a deathly shade of pale. She began to tremble, her blue eyes locked on the beasts that had been hunting them down like animals.

The unexpected snapping of the rope broke through the fog of fear that had gripped the both of them, Richard losing his footing as the rope bridge began to sway and give way.

"Richard!" Kahlan screamed as she saw the bridge begin to unravel and snap apart.

Richard tightened his hold and pulled himself along, forcing his legs to move despite the fatigue that was quickly taking over. He could feel the bridge giving way beneath his boots, the snarling growls gaining on him. He knew he wasn't going to make it if he didn't do something soon.

Pausing, he turned back towards their predators, horrified at the site that greeted him and momentarily causing him to stand frozen in fear. It was Kahlan screaming his name that finally broke him free from the gruesome scene before him.

He quickly swung his sword as the creatures reached the bridge, his blade swiftly slicing through the thick rope. The bridge immediately gave way as he turned and grabbed hold of it, gripping it tightly to keep from falling to his death. He grunted as he swung through the air, hitting the side of the cliff hard and nearly knocking the wind from his lungs.

"Richard!" Kahlan yelled his name.

He looked up to find her leaning over the edge of the cliff looking down at him. "Kahlan, stay back!" he warned her.

Ignoring him, she extended her arm towards him. "Give me your hand!" she insisted.

"Kahlan," he angrily growled, not wanting her to risk her life for him.

"Don't argue, Richard!" she snapped with equal anger. "You can either give me your hand or hang there for the rest of your life. Take your pick."

With a huff of agitation, he finally reached around to sheath his sword before extending his hand up towards her, their fingertips just barely grazing. She strained a little further, fighting to reach him as small rocks along the cliff's edge began to give way and rain down upon him.

"Kahlan, get back!" he sneered, fearing the cliff's rim would give way and take her with it.

"Hurry," she told him, straining with all that she had to reach him as she dug the toes of her boots into the loose dirt in an effort to stabilize herself.

With a grunt of angry frustration, Richard reached up as best he could, her hand firmly clasping his wrist. She gritted her teeth as she pulled with all her might, Richard using his feet against the cliff face to help work his way up to safety without pulling her over.

Breathing hard, Kahlan helped pull him up onto solid ground, rolling onto her back as she fought to catch her breath. She turned her head to look over at Richard was on all fours, breathing hard and fighting to regain his strength.

The sound of furious howls filled the air and captured both their attention. Richard and Kahlan leapt to their feet, their eyes falling on the creatures stranded on the other side that had been hunting them down most of the day. They were unlike anything either of them had ever seen before.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok, after the heart-stopping update last time, I thought we could use something a little on the calmer side this time. Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 8**

Walking through the woods, Temin couldn't help but feel the awkward tension that had erupted between him and his best friend ever since Hadi had found out that Pasha's hand had been given to Athanas as his mate.

Hadi had taken it much harder than he had imagined that he would, barely talking to him or hardly looking him in the eye. While upsetting to have this sudden wedge rammed between them, Temin knew he had to do what was best for his sister, placing her happiness and future before his as head of their family.

When his father had died, he had made Temin promise to take good care of Pasha and he was more than determined to do that until he drew his last breath. Honoring their parent's wishes meant more than anything to him.

He could feel his own anger with Hadi rising in his chest. Hadi of all people should understand the great responsibility that lay on his shoulders, the need to keep a sworn promise made on his father's death bed.

Casting a glance at his friend walking beside him, Temin decided he'd had enough of all of this. "So how long are you going to stay angry with me?"

Hadi kept his dark glower focused directly before him, refusing to meet Temin's gaze. "You betrayed me…your best friend," Hadi coldly answered, his strong jaw line clenched with anger. "We've been friends since we were small boys and you stabbed me in the back."

"I did not betray you, Hadi," Temin exclaimed in exasperation. "I was taking care of my sister just as I had promised my father I would on his deathbed."

"And you don't think I could take care of Pasha?" he spat out in indignation as he pulled a leaf from his pouch to tuck into his mouth. "I have been in love with her for a very long time and you know it. And yet, you give her to Athanas to be his mate. How am I supposed to feel about that?"

"I already told you, Hadi," Temin ground out. "Athanas is closer to Pasha's age. She loves him and he loves her. I'm not going to force her to mate with a man she does not love."

"Pasha could learn to love me in time if you'd only give us a chance," Hadi retorted. "I thought you were my best friend, but I was obviously wrong. That will teach me to trust anyone."

"I am your best friend, Hadi," Temin shot back, his anger nearly making him tremble with his friend's stubbornness. "It is you who is not a good friend by putting me in this difficult position. You're being selfish, allowing your lusts and anger to blind you."

Hadi suddenly spun towards his friend, his spear coming up towards Temin's head in absolute blinding rage. Temin stood his ground without even flinching, glaring heatedly back at his enraged best friend.

"How dare you!" Hadi hissed.

"What are you going to do?" Temin demanded to know. "Are you going to kill me so you can get what you want? It's too late for that. Mitta has already given her blessing upon their union. It cannot be undone now."

Hadi nearly exploded with rage, seething with the fiery emotions storming within. "What?"

"It's too late," Temin repeated, his anger punctuating each word. "When we return, Pasha and Athanas will be mated for life. Pasha is planning the celebration right now."

"You told me you'd give me a chance," Hadi snarled. "You lied to me!"

"I've already thought about it and I just can't trust your temper," Temin told him. "How do I know you won't become upset with Pasha and suddenly strike her?"

"I would never hurt Pasha," Hadi said through gritted teeth. "I love her more than I have ever loved anyone and you took her away from me!"

"What's going on here?"

Both men turned to find Cara coming towards them, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her lips.

"Nothing," Hadi seethed as he suddenly stormed away.

"It didn't look like nothing," Cara snorted. "He looked like he was about to attack you."

"Hadi just has a temper," Temin tried to brush it off as nothing. "He wouldn't hurt me. I'm his friend."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Cara told him. "He had hatred and murder in his eyes. I'd watch my back if I were you."

Temin drew a deep breath, his focus on Hadi who was standing several feet away from them trying to regain his control again. "I am…worried…about him," he admitted with a deep frown of anger mingled with sadness. "He's always struggled with his temper, but this has gotten far worse. He's losing control like I've never seen before."

"Just be careful," Cara warned him.

"Over here!"

Cara turned to find Tolla Nakunam anxiously waving them over. "I found Seeker Richard and Confessor Kahlan's tracks again."

"Thank the Spirits," Cara muttered under her breath as she ran to where Tolla stood.

Kneeling down, Cara studied the tracks, a deep scowl forming on her face. It didn't look good. It looked as though Richard was following Kahlan…or being lead by her like he was her prisoner.

XXX

Kahlan and Richard stared in stunned disbelief at the pack of creatures in the other side of the chasm. They were unlike anything that either of them had ever seen before as they yelped and howled in rage at having been denied their prey.

They resembled wolves, but were at least three times the size of any wolf that Richard had ever seen. There was one that was twice the size of the other six and appeared to be the leader of the hideous pack. Its coat was the color of ashes, its large green eyes like burning embers.

Its tail was like that of a gar's, whipping and snapping in anger at having been kept from its prey as it glowered at them. It snapped its large yellow teeth at them in rage, snarling and growling ferociously as its large front foot clawed at the ground as if wanting to charge at them.

"What is that thing?" Kahlan gasped in horror, a shiver racing up her spine.

"I have no idea," Richard muttered in shock, his brain trying to process what it was that they were witnessing. "Whatever it is, it's not from this world."

All of the sudden, the biggest creature threw its head back and released an ear-piercing howl that split the air like a hot knife causing Richard and Kahlan to immediately cover their ears. The other six in the pack quickly joined in the outraged cry, the ground nearly trembling with the jarring noise.

"Let's get out of here before they manage to find a way across," he told her, grabbing her hand and leading her into the thick wooded sanctuary that had been standing behind them.

Kahlan looked back at the pack of beasts intently watching them just before they disappeared into the trees. She couldn't help the chill that settled over her, the icy fear that they were going to be seeing them again washing through her.

She found she couldn't get away from them fast enough as she followed Richard through the forest. It had been unnerving to say the least as the creature's eyes seemed to bore right into her very soul, painfully peeling back layers of flesh and muscle with its cold glowing eyes alone.

She could barely control the trembling fear that still gripped her, her pulse racing uncontrollably. It had felt as though she had looked into the eyes of death itself, her own end glaring back at her.

Her heart was stampeding at that moment as tears filled her eyes, unable to catch her breath. She wasn't ready to die. She needed to know what her life had been like before she lost it, wanted to know more about Richard and what he truly meant to her. It couldn't end like this.

Richard felt his anger roiling in hot waves knowing that they were now being hunted by creatures from the Underworld. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. Everything was unraveling at the seams, growing darker and more forbidding by the moment. Every time he felt like things were finally falling into place, something else would happen to shatter that illusion.

He briefly looked back to check on Kahlan, stunned to find her face wet with tears, her eyes filled with absolute terror. He immediately stopped, worry taking control once more. "Kahlan, what's wrong?" he asked, his hands quickly moving to grasp hold of her face as his eyes roamed over her. "Are you hurt? Are you alright?"

"What…what was that thing that was chasing us, Richard?" she asked through her tears, trying to regain control of her emotions once more.

"I don't know for sure, but I think it's from the Underworld," he shook his head in regret. "I think the Keeper sent it to stop us from finding the Stone of Tears. He knows we're running out of time and he's throwing everything he has at us to keep us from succeeding so he can gain his freedom."

She quickly averted in eyes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she murmured, ashamed. "I just…it was just staring at me…and I…I…"

Her tears began to fall faster, her breathing erratic and breaking Richard's heart. She was truly shaken to her core. She didn't have a clue about what was going on around her or what all of this truly meant and yet she'd woken up right in the very heart of utter madness.

He drew her into a fierce embrace, holding her tightly and giving her his strength, sheltering her as best her could. She clung to him like a small child, burying her face in the crook of his neck and absorbing his warmth and comfort.

She wished that she could remember what was going on, wishing the uncertainty and fear that had settled over her would leave, but it helped to have Richard here with her. He made her feel like they could handle anything that came at them, even those horrifying creatures that were now hunting them like they were nothing more than animals.

The feel of his muscular body against hers, his arms circling her so protectively was beginning to make her grow unbelievably warm. Breathing deeply, she felt like she could stay right here with him like this forever.

Holding her like this felt like paradise and yet he couldn't help the intense desire for so much more with her, to show her how much he loved and needed her, for her to know the overwhelming relief that flooded him every time he looked at her because she was alive and free from Demos's hold on her.

But he couldn't – not until she got her memories back or he had made her fall in love with him all over again. He had done it once. He would win her heart again no matter what it took, no matter how long.

"Let's go," he finally said after several long moments. "It's going to be getting dark soon. We'll need to find a safe place to set up camp for the night."

Kahlan quickly pulled back, wiping her eyes in shame. "I'm sorry, Richard," she softly apologized. "I just don't understand all of this. I'm so frustrated. Nothing makes any sense. I feel so lost and confused…scared."

"It's alright, Kahlan," he reassured her, his hand coming to rest against the nape of her neck, his thumb gently caressing her jaw.

"You probably think I've truly lost my mind," she tried to add some levity to the tense situation they found themselves in as they resumed picking their way through the overgrowth of foliage. "I'm sure the Confessor is inside of me somewhere."

"I'll help you find her again," he promised her with a lop-sided smile.

"You're a very good friend, Richard," she smiled back. "I can tell that even though I can't remember more."

"The best, Kahlan," he replied, his face growing serious.

He wanted to tell her so much more, to tell her the truth of what they meant to each other, the incredible passion they had shared together. He was aching inside to show her, to kiss her and make love to her right here, but he couldn't. He was worried about pressing things with her too much, concerned about how far to push things with her.

"You still have to tell me about how we met, you know," she reminded him.

Richard's smile quickly returned with her reminder. "It's one of many favorite memories with you," he told her fondly. "I don't even want to imagine how different my life would've been had I never met you."

Kahlan thought for a moment, considering what he had told her so far about what was going on. "You probably would've been better off," she suddenly frowned.

Richard stopped to look at her, stunned. "What makes you think that?"

"If you hadn't met me then you probably wouldn't be here right now fighting for your life, struggling to stop the Keeper."

"That doesn't mean my life would've been better, Kahlan," he scowled as he resumed walking again. "I wasn't alive until I met you."

She could sense that she had somehow upset him with her words, but couldn't understand why. "I didn't mean to anger you," she apologized. "I just meant that maybe if things had been different, if we had never met then your life wouldn't be in danger right now."

"My life was in danger before I even met you," he replied, trying to calm the sudden biting anger that had risen out of nowhere. "Never think for one moment that I regret having saved you that day in Hartland."

"You saved me?" she asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Yes, I saw a beautiful woman dressed in white racing through my woods being chased by a D'Haran Quad bent on killing her," he informed her, internally grimacing with the thought of what would have happened to her had they caught her that fateful day. "I came to your rescue although I didn't realize at the time that you probably didn't need my help."

"I'm sure you probably saved my life," she frowned as she fought to recall the events he was describing only to come up blank. "It sounds as if you were very brave."

"I don't know about that," he chuckled softly. "I was just trying to do what was right. I couldn't let a beautiful woman fend for herself against four large D'Haran soldiers."

The corners of Kahlan's mouth twitched with happiness. It was the second time that he had said that she was beautiful. It caused her insides to flutter uncontrollably. She tried not to let her mind wander, but it was growing more than difficult the more time she spent around him.

Spirits, how did she survive spending so much time with him and not shove him up against a tree and kiss him breathless?

She felt her mouth grow dry just thinking of what it would feel like to taste him, to feel his lips pressed so passionately against hers, his hands in her hair and his body flush against hers. How was she ever going to survive just being his friend when everything inside of her was screaming for completion with him?

Noticing he was losing her to her thoughts, he became anxious, hoping he had helped resurrect a memory. "Kahlan?"

She turned to look at him, a rosy blush rising to her cheeks in embarrassment for where her erotic thoughts had just taken her. "What?"

"Are you alright?" he asked, tilted his head to get a better look at her face. "Are you remembering something?"

Kahlan drew a dew breath, shaking her head. "No, I don't remember any of it."

"It'll come," he reassured her, putting as much confidence into his voice as he could muster even if he wasn't feeling quite so certain himself. He just hoped that Zedd would be able to figure something out, restoring what had been lost.

"Will you tell me more…about us?" she tentatively asked, suddenly feeling rather shy around him.

Richard felt his pulse quicken with her request, a smile threatening to form on his lips that he quickly suppressed. "I'll tell you everything you want to know," he promised, trying to remain stoic. "Let's find a place to camp for the night and then I'll make us some spice soup for supper."

Kahlan paused to glance at him, her brow knitting in thought. "Do I like spice soup?"

The Seeker was caught off guard by her question, having never considered the other things that she might not be able to remember about her life. He'd been so focused on what she did or did not remember about him that he hadn't thought about much else.

"Yes, it's one of your favorites…and Zedd's" he nodded his head. "It'll be nice to have a pot of spice soup all to ourselves for a change without Zedd eating all of it."

Kahlan chuckled with his words, a sudden flash of a memory rising in her mind. "Chase's house," she wistfully said with a faint smile.

Richard's head jerked up sharply, his heart leaping with excited anticipation. "Yes, Kahlan!" he exclaimed. "What do you remember?"

"I just remember coming into a room to find you and Zedd eating with Chase and…and Emily?" she hesitantly tried the name, immediately recognizing it wasn't right, but Richard patiently waited to see if she would remember it for herself before correcting her. "No…that's not right. It's Chase and…Emma. It's Emma."

"Yes, Chase and Emma," Richard beamed with pleasure. It was a fond memory for him too. "Do you remember why we were there?"

Kahlan silently thought for a long time, making Richard wonder if she had given up trying to remember, but then she finally spoke again. "We were going someplace," she replied. "You and me and Zedd. We were leaving and Chase was going to help us. Chase's daughter had made me a traveling outfit."

Richard couldn't help but stop and turn to her, swiftly pulling her into his arms in a warm embrace. "Yes, Kahlan," he murmured into her hair with utter relief. "You remember."

"Some of it, but it's still very broken," she told him as she returned his embrace, loving the feel of being in his arms like this. "I can only remember slivers of memories – a faint image here or a sentence spoken there. It's all still very confusing."

"It'll come," he encouraged her, releasing his hold on her. "Once we get settled, I'll tell you more. We'll start at the beginning and rebuild your memories one by one."

"You don't have to do that, Richard," she pursed her lips. "You have more than enough to worry about right now without having to worry about me."

Richard shook his head, relief flooding his soul that she had remembered something about their past together. "I want to, Kahlan. You mean a lot of me. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you…nothing."

Kahlan gave him that special smile she saved for him and it was all he could do not to grab her and kiss her. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you either, Richard," she softly admitted.

Hope sprung anew in his heart as he scanned the area for a safe place to camp for the night. He could tell that she was quickly wearing down, the race for their lives through the woods today taking its toll on the both of them, but especially on her.

She'd eaten very little last night and not much during the day. He wanted to allow her to get cleaned up and have a hot meal before settling in for the night. Then maybe, he could actually help her remember the love that had grown so deeply between them these last two years.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the delay, but unfortunately real life keeps getting in the way of my writing. Thank you for your patience. I'll update as fast as I can! Enjoy!**

**Chapter** **9**

Richard adjusted the load of firewood in his arms as he made his way back to their campsite, lost in his thoughts. He was thankful that he'd been able to find a safe spot to setup camp for the night as well as a nearby river so that they'd have a chance to get cleaned up.

He wanted Kahlan to get as much rest tonight as possible, knowing that they could have a hard day of travel come tomorrow depending on where the compass directed them to go and how far away the Stone of Tears actually was. Not to mention, he had no idea what would happen when those beasts from the Underworld finally caught up with them again and he knew they would.

He was afraid this was just a minor reprieve from the catastrophic storm that was about to hit them. He should have known that the Keeper would try something like this to keep him from reaching the stone.

Obstacles of every kind were constantly being thrown up in their faces right and left, everything be thrown at them in their attempt to right what he had made wrong. It continually tore at his heart.

He knew he'd never have made it as far as he had if not for Kahlan, Zedd, and Cara. He'd come too close to losing each of them one time or another over the last year, Kahlan having come the closest most recently with Demos's interference in their lives.

Richard felt his knees almost buckle with the reminder as he deposited the wood and began building a fire for Kahlan to return to after her bath. He wanted to get supper going before heading to the river to get cleaned up himself.

He quickly added the ingredients that he'd been able to gather to the pot before standing up and brushing his hands off on his pants. He grabbed his pack, slinging it over his shoulder as he made his way towards the river.

He couldn't help but begin to feel hopeful that Kahlan might be getting her memories back, the heaviness in his heart easing ever so subtly. It put a smile on his face to think he'd have his Kahlan back again as he brushed braches aside on his way to the river.

His smile almost immediately fell away the moment he finally broke through the thick barrier of trees and reached the river where Kahlan was, his pack sliding off his shoulder and landing in the grass with a soft thud of surprise.

Kahlan was standing near the river's grassy edge drying off, her dark wet hair clinging to the smooth expanse of skin on her back, her beautiful form enticing him and awakening his need all over again. He lovingly caressed her feminine curves with his eyes as he stared at her, wishing it was his hands…his mouth on her as it had been just days before in the Aku village.

Memories of that day so long ago began to flash through his mind, images of stumbling upon a similar scene just after a lesson with Zedd sprang to his mind. He had been standing there watching her, his skin covered in bits and pieces of fruit as his eyes greedily drank in every inch of her then just as now. He could feel hot arousal surging through his body, awakening every part of him and screaming for him to go to her and take her right there.

But it was far too soon, her memories of him and the love that they shared still missing. She didn't remember that sultry night when passion finally exploded between them in the Aku Spirit house, sweeping them both away in their heated desire for one another.

He was aching to recreate that magical night for her when fantasy and dreams and desire finally became a passionate reality, their bodies entwined, rubbing and stroking, kissing and driving each other's pleasure to unimaginable heights.

His throat went dry as she knelt to pick up her clothes, her movements so graceful and causing his breaths to grow labored. He knew that he should look away, but he was completely mesmerized by her. Besides, it was damn near impossible after having already been intimate with her several times already.

Unfortunately, Kahlan didn't know or remember that, had no memory of them being together, making passionate love, giving themselves so completely to each other.

Just then, Kahlan turned around to find Richard standing several feet behind her, his dark brown eyes ablaze and dark with lust. She immediately tried to cover herself, stunned to find him standing there staring so intently at her.

"Richard!" she gasped in shock as she tried to cover herself with her clothes. "What are you doing?"

Richard quickly turned around in embarrassment at having been caught, but not for opening gawking at the woman he loved. If she only remembered the things that they had already done together…what she had done to him by the springs that night…she wouldn't be trying to cover herself now. She'd understand why he was staring so openly at her, so hungrily.

"I'm sorry, Kahlan," he remorsefully replied, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice at the similarities between now and the first time he'd come across her after her bath. "I was just coming to check on you and to get cleaned up. I thought you'd be done by now."

"Just…give me a moment," she said in exasperation as she quickly dressed. "Ok, you can turn around now."

Richard finally turned around, doing his best to look chagrined instead of completely and utterly aroused beyond belief. It didn't help that Kahlan's face had a rosy glow of embarrassment making her look even more beautiful than ever.

They stared at one another for a long moment, the sexual tension buzzing loudly in their ears making the air even hotter around them. Richard's legs began to move on their own, drawing him to her as his pulse raced wildly in anticipation.

His heated gaze fell to the ties of her clothes that remained undone in her haste, revealing a generous view of her breasts. Steeling himself, he slowly raised his hands and began doing up the laces for her when every part of him wanted so desperately to remove the clothing that separated them, to take her right there in the grass by the river.

Kahlan studied his handsome face as he worked, certain that he could feel the intense drumming of her heart beneath his hands. Her eyes fell on his lips and her breath hitched, an overwhelming desire to kiss him welling up from deep within her.

She could hardly catch her breath as a tremble rolled through her. Just as she began to slowly inch closer to him to finally give in to her desire and kiss him, Richard abruptly finished, stepping away from her in awkward silence, not even realizing what she had just been about to do.

Kahlan quickly straightened up in embarrassment, averting her eyes as a strange memory suddenly resurfaced in her mind. Richard noticed the bewildered expression that abruptly flitted across her face, causing him to take a step closer to her again, his hand unconsciously finding hers.

"Kahlan, what is it?" he asked.

"I just thought I remembered something," she murmured, her brow knitted in confusion as she fought to put the images together into a solid memory she could actually grasp onto.

"What did you remember?"

She slowly shook her head, her blue eyes growing distant as if she was being pulled back in time to that reawakened memory. "I was bathing near a…a waterfall," she told him. "I turned around and found you staring at me much like this time. You had a similar look in your eyes as you did just a few moments ago."

Richard fought back the guilty rush of emotion that suddenly seeped inside of him, excitement over Kahlan regaining another memory taking its place. "Yes, I had been practicing with Zedd," he reminded her. "I was coming to get cleaned up and found you by the waterfall."

A small playful smirk suddenly danced on her lips. "So, Seeker, you have a history of peeking on naked unsuspecting women?"

Richard was caught off guard by her mischievousness, fearing she would be upset or worse yet thinking that he was morally disturbed. How would he ever explain it or hope to earn back her trust while waiting for her memories to return?

Both times had been nothing more than an accident. He just hadn't been as quick to look away as he should've been, but, Spirits, who could have possibly blamed him? The woman was breathtakingly stunning beyond words.

Richard gave her a lopsided grin in response, suddenly feeling very sheepish. "Only you, Kahlan," he admitted, hoping she could see how much he loved her, wanted her. "And it was purely an accident…both times…I swear on my life."

Kahlan nodded her head, but wasn't entirely convinced. She had no idea how long he'd been standing there watching her this time, but she was surprised to find that she wasn't even angry about it. In fact, she found she liked the idea of him staring at her, the thought of it further heating her blood and yet making her heart sink knowing that he didn't want to be with her.

She wanted to be with him so badly it hurt inside; stealing her breath and the smile that she had just given him. "I better head back to camp so you can get cleaned up," she said, her expression crestfallen.

Richard noticed the sudden change in her, but didn't understand what had happened to suddenly change her mood. "Ok…but no peeking," he smiled at her.

Kahlan bit back a smile at his response as she turned to leave. "I'm not promising anything, Seeker," she called back over her shoulder.

Richard's jaw nearly dropped with her flirty banter as he watched her disappear into the darkening shadows of the trees. He secretly hoped that she would stay to watch him as he undressed, joining him in the water. The erotic thought caused him to harden even further.

He just hoped the river was cold because he was definitely going to need it now more than ever.

XXX

He returned to camp some time later to find Kahlan sitting by the campfire deep in thought, her legs drawn up and her chin resting on her knees. Her sapphire gaze was locked on the flames of the fire, her expression brooding and sad and tugging at his heart.

He could feel her melancholy as he silently approached her, imagining how completely frustrating this must all be for her. He knew Kahlan better than he knew himself, understood how hard she was struggling with all of this, how out of control she must be feeling.

At least she had been able to regain a couple of her memories and hopefully in time she'd be able to recover all of them, especially the ones about them. They were the ones that meant the most to him and he would be the keeper of those precious memories until they returned.

She quickly sat up at the sound of his approach, her body stiffening. "It's only me," he cautioned her, raising a hand as he settled down near her but definitely not nearly as close as he'd like.

She smiled softly in response, noticing the distance that he put between them. After what had happened down by the river, he probably decided that he definitely didn't want anything to do with her now. He had been reminded of what she looked like without her clothes on.

"Dinner's ready," she softly said, scooting closer to the fire to ladle out the soup Richard had started earlier.

He took the offered bowl with a confused feeling, not certain why she suddenly seemed so distant, almost annoyed with him. Maybe she truly was upset about him for seeing her nude down by the river. "I'm really sorry about earlier," he apologized, casting a sidelong glance at her. "I realy wasn't spying on you."

Kahlan was pulled from her brooding thoughts by his words, forcing her to focus on him and what he was saying to her. "It's alright," she shook her head with a frown. "No harm done."

They ate in uncomfortable silence for several long moments, neither knowing what to say. It was eating Richard alive not being able to talk to her like he was accustomed to, not being able to kiss her. No matter what she was still his Kahlan and she wasn't even aware of it, didn't know what she truly meant to him.

Maybe he should just tell her…or maybe it would make things worse. Maybe revealing too much to her too soon would cause her to never regain her memories. Spirits, he hated magic.

"Kahlan…"

"Richard…"

They both spoke at the same time, both pausing to let the other finish. "Go ahead," Richard told her, taking a bite of his soup.

Kahlan's eyes fell to her untouched bowl in her lap, feeling somewhat uncomfortable about what she was about to ask him. "Never mind," she sighed, playing with her soup with her spoon.

"Kahlan, you can ask me anything," he told her, the sincerity in his voice causing her to meet his intense gaze.

"Are…are you married?" she finally asked, feeling warmth rising to her cheeks.

Richard was taken aback by her question, not the least bit expecting that. How would he answer her without affecting what magic had already done to her memories?

"No, I'm not married," he replied, his chestnut brown eyes sparkling with the warmth and love he felt for this woman beside him now, the innocence that she radiated.

Kahlan felt herself flush with the look in his eyes, not quite certain how to take it. She didn't remember him well enough to know what that expression meant or the heat in his eyes expressing. She knew what she hoped it meant, but feared hoping for something that never would happen, something that would never be.

She was silent for a beat longer as she struggled to ask the next question that had been weighing so heavily on her mind that she couldn't take it any longer. "Are you in love with someone?" she asked, amazed at her sudden boldness, but she had to know. She couldn't take this firestorm of emotions inside of her that threatened to burst free at any moment.

Richard drew a deep breathing, releasing it slowly as he thought through his answer. He had never lied to Kahlan and wasn't about to start now, but at the same time he couldn't risk making her memory loss permanent by revealing too much.

"Very much so," he softly admitted, his eyes never leaving hers as he silently willed her to remember. "More than she knows."

Kahlan felt her heart constrict with his words, wishing more than anything that it was her. "Oh," she murmured, returning her focus to the bowl in her hands as tears began to blur her vision. "I'm sure the two of you will be very happy when all of this is over."

"I'm planning on it," he told her, studying her. "I will do whatever it takes to make her happy. She's my whole world."

The sad expression on her face nearly broke his heart as he watched her. He wanted more than anything to tell her that it was her that lit up his heart, her smile that he loved, her bright blue eyes that he adored, her love that sustained him, her body that he hungered for.

But for right now, he'd have to settle with knowing they would eventually be together once this was all over, never giving up on her or a chance to be with her again.

"Someone does love you, Kahlan," he found himself saying before he could stop the words that unexpectedly sprung from his tongue. "He loves you more than his own life."

Kahlan turned to look at him again, tightly gripping her spoon as she intently studied him. "Really?" she asked, her cobalt eyes suddenly brightening but only slightly.

Richard could only nod his head as he stared at her, the flames of the fire creating a warm radiant glow about her that took his breath away. It felt as though there was no one else in the world but him and her and these fierce emotions that bound them together as one.

He suddenly found himself moving to sit closer to her, needing to be near her. "Yes, he…" his voice thick with emotion abruptly broke off, her scent filling his senses and warming his soul as he lost himself in her intense gaze. "He loves you very much, Kahlan. In fact, he wants to marry you when return to Aydindril, have a houseful of daughters with you."

Kahlan swallowed hard, her breath coming shallower as he loomed so close to her now, his thigh brushing against hers and sending tiny jolts of electricity through her. "Do I…love him?" she whispered.

Richard's iron-clad hold on his control was swiftly slipping through his fingers as if water, the ache that lived inside of him for her growing unbearable, undeniable. "Yes, you love him too," he softly told her, his hand reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear when everything inside of him wanted to just grab her by her hair and kiss her hard.

Kahlan felt her stomach flutter uncontrollably, wanting him to kiss her, to lay her down and make love to her, but they were in love with other people. "Can you tell me what he's like?" she asked. "Is…is he like you?"

Richard bit his bottom lip as he thought about it, trying to suppress the scream inside that wanted to tell her it was him, but he swallowed it down along with the thick knot that had suddenly constricted his throat. "Yes, he's actually a lot like me," he carefully said, forcing himself to sit back, putting a little more distance between them.

"Then I guess I did alright…falling in love with someone who is like you," she smiled her special smile and it took every ounce of control he had once again not to pin her to the ground and have his way with her. If this kept up much longer, he was going to need another dip in the cold river.

"I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that," he smiled tentatively in return, taking another spoonful of soup to keep his mouth occupied and from doing what he really wanted to do with his mouth at that rapidly heating moment.

Kahlan suddenly felt a little more at ease knowing that she loved someone like her Seeker and that he loved her in return, but it couldn't erase the ache inside her heart that it wasn't Richard. She wanted more than anything for it to be him, to be the one who held his heart.

Richard knew he needed to change the subject before she asked too many questions about the man that loved her. "Have you been able to remember anything else about your past?" he asked.

Kahlan shook her head in bitter disappointment. "No, everything is so confusing," she said, finally taking a bit of soup. "This is really good. You were right; I do like spice soup."

He smiled at her surprise as she took another spoonful, happy to see her finally eating something. She'd barely eaten in days and it was greatly worrying him especially after everything she'd been through. "I know it's hard, but your memories will come back, Kahlan," he reassured her. "We'll find the Stone of Tears, stop the Keeper and then we'll find Zedd and Cara. He'll be able to restore your memories for you and then all of this will make sense to you."

"I hope so," she murmured.

Richard hoped so too because he didn't know how much longer her could go on like this, trying to help her remember and yet at the same time trying to keep her from learning too much that would only cause permanent harm.

He wished Zedd were here to help her, to put back what Demos had stolen from them. He swore when this over and the Keeper had been defeated, he was going to make Demos pay for what he had done. He had taken down Darken Rahl a year ago and now he would stop his brother Demos as well.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Lucinda couldn't hold in the grimace that sprung to her lips as she pulled her red leather up her bruised form, her entire body still recovering from the violent pleasure that she'd experienced with Demos a couple of nights ago. It didn't help that he had decided on another repeat performance last night, but thankfully not nearly as brutal as before.

It had been almost…sweet…in a strange way, apologetic. It was as if Demos had felt a measure of guilt or shame over what he had done to her. She hated to admit it, but it nearly brought tears to her eyes, feeling things inside of her that she'd truly experienced before.

She didn't know what had brought on this sudden turn of events whether it was regret for nearly killing her or because she had been one of Darken's numerous consorts.

She attached her agiel to her waist before checking her appearance one more time in the manor. She slowly ran a hand over her auburn burn braid to smooth it out before leaving her room.

She had been somewhat surprised that Demos had granted her permission to take an army of Mord'Sith to go after Richard and Kahlan herself. She had thought for certain that he would've denied her, pointing out the fact that Askar had already been released from the gates of the Underworld in order to hunt them down.

Slipping her gloves on, Lucinda slowly bent her fingers as the red leather molded to her hands like a second skin. She could hardly wait to find Kahlan Amnell, to make her suffer before she finally ended her life.

She couldn't care less what happened to the Seeker as long as she ended Demos's foolish obsession with the Mother Confessor. He already had her at his beck and call. He needed no other woman but her by his side.

A wicked smirk spread across Lucinda's face, her eyes growing distant as thoughts of what she was going to do to Kahlan once she found her drifted through her mind. She would make her scream, beg for her life, but it would never be granted.

She would, of course, force the Seeker to watch as she tortured Kahlan for killing Demos. Then she would drag the Seeker back to her Lord Rahl, allowing him to have a part of his desired prize. She would regretfully inform him that Kahlan had been accidently killed along the way and it couldn't have been helped.

Demos would never believe Richard over her if he tried to tell him what had really happened to Kahlan. There was no way that she was going to fail eliminating the Mother Confessor this time. She would hunt her down like an animal and end this once and for all.

XXX

Cara paced furiously, her face fixed into a permanent scowl that pretty much warned everyone around her to stay back at risk of life and limb. She didn't know how much more of this she could possibly take. She paused long enough to glance up at the People's Palace looming so large before them, wondering what was taking Zedd so long. He'd been gone for hours.

She swore to herself, cursing the Wizard for talking her into letting him go into the People's Palace by himself to gather information about Richard and Kahlan. Their trail had ended her much to her greatest fear. She had hoped to be able to get to them before reaching the People's Palace but knew that it had been wishful thinking on her part.

She turned then spotting Hadi sitting on a large rock watching her every move with those cold dark eyes filled with as much hatred as the Aku warrior could muster. She flashed him a smirk, knowing it would only get under his skin even more.

Hadi glowered at her, stuffing a leaf into his mouth before finally skulking further back into the woods away from her. Temin stood several feet away from him leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, keeping his distance between him and Hadi.

Tolla suddenly came into the small area where they'd decided to wait for Zedd, a grim expression on his tanned face. "You're wearing the grass away with your pacing," he told her, pointing at the ground.

His voice was accusing, but the glint in his eyes revealed his amusement as Cara met his gaze. "I can't help it," she frowned. "Zedd's been gone for hours. What if something has happened to him in there?"

"He still has some time before he's supposed to check back in with us," Tolla Nakunam reminded her. "I'm sure he's fine, Cara. He seems to me to be a very resourceful man."

"He can be if he's not worried about his stomach," Cara agreed. "He's probably in a tavern filling his stomach right now."

"Now, do you really think I'd put food before the wellbeing of Kahlan and my grandson?" Zedd groused as he came through the thick cover of trees, pulling back the hood of his robe to reveal a thick shock of white hair.

"It's about time," Cara huffed, pretending not to be worried about the old Wizard.

"You had Mistress Cara more than a little concerned about the state of your welfare," Tolla informed him with a smile.

Cara swatted at the Tolla's shoulder in annoyance. "No, I wasn't," she insisted. "I just want to find Richard and Kahlan that's all. Spirits only know what Demos could be doing to them right now."

"I always knew you cared, my dear," Zedd grinned broadly at her.

Cara glared hotly at him in return. "Well, what did you find out?"

"I've got some good news and some not so good news," he sighed heavily.

"And?" she nearly shouted in frustration.

"Richard and Kahlan aren't here as far as I can tell," he informed them.

"What do you mean they're not here?" Cara scowled. "Where are they?"

"Rumor has it Kahlan killed Demos, but the Mord'Sith brought him back to life," he said. "They managed to escape the People's Palace after that."

"And what's the bad news?" Tolla asked.

"Demos has half his D'Haran army out searching for them and a large party of Mord'Sith just left this morning to join in the hunt," he replied, folding his arms against his chest with obvious worry.

"Great!" Cara cried, throwing her hands up in exasperated anger. "This just keeps getting worse and worse. They could be anywhere by now. How are we supposed to find them now?"

"Well, we know they aren't heading back towards the Aku village or we would've come across them on the way," Zedd pointed out.

"Why wouldn't they come back to find us?" Cara asked. "It makes no sense."

"Something must be keeping them from being able to return to the village," Tolla interjected, his expression brooding as he considered this latest information.

Cara frowned. "Like what?"

"I don't know, but it must be more than they can handle together," Zedd supposed.

"If Demos died then that means the marking spell on Kahlan has been broken," Cara pointed out, her expression brightening somewhat.

"It would stand to reason," he nodded in agreement. "The only problem is if she was able to regain her memories or not."

"You mean she may have permanently lost her memory?" Cara exclaimed, stunned by the sudden revelation.

"I'm afraid so," Zedd regretfully informed them. "When a spell like Demos concocted is cast, any number of outcomes could happen when it's finally broken. She could lose all of her memories, some of them or none of them. It's difficult to say."

"Is there any way to recover them if she has lost them?"

"Time will be the biggest revealer as to the extent of the damage," he grimly said. "It could be permanent or she may regain them in time. Unfortunately, we won't know for quite a while."

"Seeker Richard must be beside himself right now with worry over his Confessor Kahlan," Tolla sadly shook his head.

Cara released a ragged breath. "I hope they're alright," she murmured, lost in her own thoughts.

"How will we find them now?" Tolla suddenly frowned. "We don't even know the first place to look for them."

"I may still have a trick or two up my sleeve that can help us," Zedd informed them.

XXX

Richard studied the compass in his hand, amazed by the fact that it was glowing so brightly, brighter than it ever had before. It warmed the palm of his head, the light that it radiated casting a blue glow on his fingers.

He could hardly believe that they were getting so close to having this all be over with. He drew a deep breath in an effort to calm the tremble of relief that suddenly rippled through him with the very thought.

He was one step closer to making Kahlan his forever, to his dream coming true. He could feel tears collecting in his throat. He had fought so hard for so long, had wanted a life with Kahlan so badly and now it was so close to becoming a reality.

Unfortunately, she didn't have any memories of him or the love that they shared. He was nothing more than the Seeker to her, a friend…a protector. He would have to start all over at winning her heart again, but he was more than determined to do just that no matter how long it took.

For her, he'd do anything, give up everything.

Snapping the compass closed, he shoved it in his vest pocket. He hated that the compass was directing them away from Zedd and Cara waiting for them at the Aku village, but it couldn't be helped. They had two days to find the stone or the Keeper would have free reign over the world of the living, destroying all life as they know it.

It felt as though the heavy burden he carried on his shoulders had suddenly grown heavier, knowing how everyone was depending on him to save them. He glanced at Kahlan walking beside him and felt a sudden rush of peace wash through him.

She had a way of making him feel stronger than he actually felt, as if he could take on the whole world single-handedly. He wanted to be a better person, a better man because of her.

Richard couldn't help but notice that she was lost deep in thought over something. He knew that she was fighting to remember her past, her forehead creased in obvious frustration. He longed to pull her into his arms and reassure her, to tell her that he was the one that loved her so completely it nearly stole his breath away with the sheer intensity of it or how it was all he could do take his eyes off of her some days.

But he couldn't…at least not yet. He needed to do what was best for Kahlan right now, not what he wanted.

He was thankful that she had finally eaten some last night. It wasn't as much as he had hoped, but at least it was something. She also seemed to have regained a little more strength, but the chase through the woods by those creatures from the Underworld had drained her considerably.

She needed several days of uninterrupted rest, but unfortunately that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Everything inside of him just wanted to whisk her so far away from here, to take her some place safe where no one could ever hurt her again, where Demos would never find her.

Unfortunately, the titles they each held prevented that from ever happening.

"You keep making that face, it'll stick like that," he teased, wanting to break the silence that had encompassed them all morning.

Kahlan turned to look at him, her expression shifting to one of confusion. "I'm sorry," she shook her head. "What did you say?"

"I said if you keep making that face, it'll stay like that," he repeated with a smile. "It's just something my mother always used to tell me to make me smile when I was feeling down."

Kahlan couldn't help but smile at his comment. He had a way of always raising her spirits when she was feeling discouraged. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I guess I'm not very good company am I?"

"Kahlan, you're fine," he insisted. "I just hate watching you struggle to remember your past. I feel so helpless to make it better for you."

"You've already helped me regain a couple of memories, Richard," she pointed out, her hand reaching out to a tree trunk to help balance herself as they crossed over rocky terrain. "Just think if you hadn't come upon me after my bath, I might not have ever remembered you were a peeping Tom."

"Kahlan, I told you it was purely accidental."

He looked at her again to find pure mischievousness dancing in her bright blue eyes, his special smile playing on her lips and warming his heart. Spirits, how he wanted to just pin her up against the nearest tree, to plunder her mouth and kiss her breathless.

He smiled in return at her playfulness. "You are so evil, Kahlan Amnell," he shook his head in amazement.

"I would say that I know I am, but I don't know that for certain," she smirked.

"Trust me when I say you can be very mischievous at times," he reassured her. "One time, I was walking through the woods looking for you only to have you leap out of a tree and jump me from behind."

"I did that?" she asked in surprise. "You're making that up."

Richard couldn't suppress the chuckle that rose up in his throat at the memory that was one of his favorites. It had been like a well-coordinated dance, their sparring holding such a powerful sexual tension to it that it had left him more than a little aroused.

"Yes, you did," he maintained with a nod of his head. "I had told you that I wanted you to keep me sharp and on my toes. I feared growing lax so you jumped me from behind and nearly killed me in the process."

"I highly doubt that I nearly killed you," she replied with a look of complete skepticism. "You must have really been growing soft if I was able to sneak up on you like that."

"That's almost the exact same reply that you gave me back then when I told you that you nearly killed me," he told her. "You put up a pretty good sparring match. I thought you were going to remove my head from my shoulders."

"Weren't we waiting for something…or maybe it was someone?" she frowned again, her gaze narrowing in thought.

"Yes, we were waiting to meet up with Zedd," Richard nodded his head, his excitement bubbling to the surface once more. "Do you remember anything more?"

Kahlan shook her head in discouragement. "No, just flashes of images of us sparring. Nothing more than that."

"That's better than nothing at all, Kahlan," he encouraged her. "You're going to get your memories back and I'm going to be there to help you every step of the way."

"What will the man you say loves me have to say about that?" she asked, taking Richard completely off guard.

Richard's mind suddenly went numb with her flirtatious comment. "I'm sure he won't mind," he finally replied, silently hoping that she wouldn't ask any more questions about the one who loved her.

"It seems to me he would be jealous of me spending so much time with you," she thoughtfully reasoned.

"If it was anyone but me he'd definitely be furiously jealous," he truthfully told her.

"You seem to know him very well," she answered. "Are the two of you close?"

Richard bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. "Closer than you can begin to imagine."

"Will the woman who loves you be jealous of me spending so much time with you?"

Richard thought for a long moment before finally responding. "Not at all," he decided was safe enough to say while under his breath adding, "She prefers it this way."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, just that she's very understanding…a lot like you are."

Kahlan looked at him for a long hard moment, studying him. "You're hiding something from me. There's more to it than what you're telling me."

Richard abruptly stopped, returning her suspicious gaze. He released a deep breath, trying to figure out how to keep her trust without affecting her memories too much. "Kahlan, there's a lot more to it than you can begin to imagine," he finally admitted. "I would love nothing more than to be able to tell you everything, but I'm afraid if I tell you too much it might somehow keep all of your memories from coming back."

"How would you telling me about my past keep me from getting my memories back?"

"I don't know enough about magic to be able to tell you," he confessed. "That's why once we stop the Keeper; I need to get you back to Zedd so he can help you regain your memories and remove any lingering effects that the magical spell may still be having on you."

"Will you promise to someday tell me everything?" she finally asked somewhat disheartened.

"Of course, Kahlan," he promised her, taking a step closer to her. "I swear I will tell you everything you want to know. Until then, please just trust me. I promise that everything will be alright."

Kahlan drew a deep breath, nodding her head in agreement. "I trust you," she replied. "I just wish that…"

An arrow suddenly sliced past Kahlan's head, taking them both by surprise as it embedded itself into a nearby tree. They both crouched down low to the ground, each going for their weapons as more arrows began to rain down upon them.

Richard growled under his breath as he caught a glimpse of several D'Haran uniforms peeking through the thick forest foliage. "Damn," he cursed to himself, gripping his sword tightly in his hand. "We're going to have to fight our way out of here."

"I'm ready," Kahlan reassured him. "I know you think I can't, but I'm not letting you take them on alone."

"So stubborn," he snapped in agitation. "Just try to stay behind me; engage only if attacked."

"Giving orders now?" she scowled at him. "I don't remember that ever happening."

"You don't remember a lot of things," he hissed before throwing himself into the fight.

Using his sword, he skillfully deflected one arrow after another, pushing towards the D'Haran soldiers that had tracked them down. He wanted to make sure he took out as many as possible, keeping the attention on him and off of Kahlan.

Kahlan gritted her teeth in frustration as she followed close behind him. This seemed so unnatural following behind the Seeker into a battle inside of running headlong into it side-by-side. She knew he was trying to protect her, but why? She was more than certain she could handle herself with or without her memories, protecting her Seeker at all cost.

A dozen D'Haran soldiers suddenly emerged from the foliage, swords drawn and more than ready for a fight with the Seeker and Mother Confessor. The battle was on and they would win for their Lord Rahl.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Richard rushed towards the D'Haran soldiers, adeptly deflecting arrows with his sword as he pushed closer towards them. He cast a quick glance at Kahlan to find her moving past him to his left, racing headlong into the fight with daggers drawn and ready for battle.

He had to force himself to focus on the soldiers at hand and not on her right now or he would only end up getting himself killed. He needed to concentrate on the battle and pray that Kahlan would be able to survive it.

She may not have her memories, but hopefully her instincts in battle would kick in.

Gritting his teeth, Richard threw himself into the mayhem that quickly swallowed him whole. He moved swiftly, dodging and ducking blades slicing through the air at him, his own weapon moving with deadly precision as one solider after another fell to their deaths only to open their eyes in the presence of the Keeper himself.

He thrust his sword deep into the belly of one soldier, narrowly missing the swing of another. Pulling his sword free, he spun around, his blade finding the chest of another man stealing up from behind to take him by surprise.

They seemed to be coming from everywhere as he killed one only to have two more appear out of nowhere to take their fallen comrade's place, but Richard knew they had no choice but to fight their way out of here.

They needed to eliminate the threat so they could find the stone. They were swiftly running out of time, being forced to stop and fight for their lives at almost every turn.

Richard used his rage to aid in the fight now, using it to fuel him and guide him as his blade whistled through the air with skillful accuracy that showed everyone that he truly deserved the title of Seeker of Truth.

Kahlan swiftly crossed her arms, her daggers slicing crosswise across a soldier's throat, blood spraying all over her clothes and face. She didn't have time to wipe it off before two more soldiers appeared before her, ready to contain her and take her back to Lord Demos Rahl, but she wasn't about to be captured by anyone.

She threw one dagger, hitting her mark square in the chest of a soldier before turning and instinctively grabbing the other D'Haran's throat. She felt a sudden warm rush flow through her body taking her by surprise, an exquisite sensation that made her tingle all over. The power that suddenly flooded her veins made her almost lightheaded as the soldier's eyes widened in shock at what she was about to do to him.

The man fell to his knees before Kahlan, his love-struck beseeching gaze unnerving her as she fought to stay upright on her feet when everything inside of her just wanted to collapse. She tensed her whole body, her every muscle fighting to keep her standing.

"Command me, Mother Confessor," he cried out in awe.

"Help protect me and the Seeker," she commanded him.

The man immediately leapt to his feet, clutching his sword fiercely in his hand as he turned on his comrades with a roar of anger, taking them by surprise. Kahlan was somewhat stunned to see her magic at work, but was swiftly pulled from her bewildered thoughts at the sound of Richard's cry.

She spun on her heel to find blood dripping from Richard's upper arm, a large tear in his shirtsleeve. He had three D'Haran soldiers that he was trying to fight off, a fourth sneaking up from behind as they attempted to restrain him.

Kahlan ran to retrieve her other dagger before racing to his aid. She attacked with a furious vengeance that took the men by surprise, drawing two soldiers away from Richard and leaving him with only two of his own to handle.

Richard grunted with every thrust of his sword, the throbbing pain in his upper arm intensifying with every move he made. He ground his teeth as he threw his arm up, his sword blocking a swing before he lifted his leg and slammed his boot hard into the soldier's chest, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

He was rapidly wearing down; the warm wet feel of blood oozing down his arm telling him that the wound was deeper than he had first thought. He quickly finished off the last two soldiers before turning to find Kahlan retrieving her dagger from a soldier's body. He slowly made his way to her as she straightened up.

Richard sheathed his sword as he drew near, his concern rising as he saw the blood splatter on her face and clothes. His hands came to rest on her shoulders as he studied her face, searching for any sign that she was injured.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked as he began to erase the droplets of blood from her face with the tip of his fingers, relief that her battle instincts were still there to help protect her.

Kahlan slowly nodded her head as her eyes took in the gruesome scene that surrounded her, the numerous bodies lying dead on the ground, blood staining the dirt. She suddenly felt so numb inside, her mind trying desperately to catch up with what she had just done, the lives that she had just ended.

She had taken another's life without a second thought, had just taken several of them just like she had taken those Mord'Sith's lives earlier. What kind of person was she? Maybe she didn't want to know or remember the person that she truly was.

Richard could see her struggling to process what had just happened here, could see the fierce war being waged in her mind as she tried to come to terms with it all. This was their first really big fight since escaping the Palace. She had no idea that this was a way of life for her, always had been.

"Kahlan, it's alright," he gently tried to reassure her.

"What have I done?" she murmured with a stunned shake of her head before finally turning sad blue eyes to him.

As he gazed into her eyes, he wanted nothing more than to hold her and reassure her, but they didn't have time right now if they wanted to survive this and stop the Keeper. "Come…we need to get out of here before more soldiers show up," he softly said, his raptor gaze leaving her to scan the surrounding trees for signs of more trouble.

He finally released his hold on her, taking a step back and putting a little distance between them again. He needed to remain in control of his emotions around her, to keep from allowing his love to show through until he made sure that she would be alright. He didn't want anything interfering in the possibility of getting her memories back.

"What about your arm?" she asked, concern veiling her face as she forced herself to forget for now what she had just done. She'd have to deal with that later when she had time to cry.

"It'll have to wait till later," he shook his head as he leaned over to grab his backpack. "We need to keep moving."

"Richard…" Kahlan began to protest.

"It doesn't even hurt that much…I promise," he tried to tell her, but she wasn't buying it for one moment.

Kahlan suddenly stopped and leaned down, tearing off a piece of her skirt. He watched as she carefully wrapped his upper arm, her touch so gentle and warming his heart as she took care of him.

"There," she finally said. "That should hold it until I can tend to it later."

Richard looked up from his arm into the dazzling blue eyes of the woman he loved. He quickly found he was losing himself in those sapphire depths, her nearness awakening his desire all over again and making it difficult to think straight at that moment.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to look away from her. The sudden sound of a fierce howling sliced through the air and through their hearts. They both froze at the other-worldly shrieks that tore through the woods, looking around frantically for where the noise was coming from, but saw nothing.

The creatures were coming after them again and they were closing in.

XXX

Zedd and Cara suddenly stopped in their tracks at the unexpected baying that had abruptly erupted, piercing their ears. Everyone paused, quickly looking at each other before looking at the thick forest that surrounded them.

"What was that?" Cara finally asked, her green eyes wide with horror.

"I'm afraid it was the call of the Underworld," Zedd scowled. "The Keeper has released the creatures of the Underworld to stop Richard from finding the Stone of Tears."

"What kind of creatures?" Tolla asked, tightening his grip on his spear.

"I'm not sure you want to know," Zedd muttered as he raced to think of a way out of this mess. "It's more than likely Askar."

"Who is Askar?" Tolla frowned, shaking his head in confusion.

"The guardian of the gate to the Underworld," Cara breathed, fear rising in her belly with memories of the stories she had heard as a child. "But I thought he was only a myth."

"Askar and his pack help guard the gate to the Underworld and he is no myth," Zedd tried to explain. "They are creatures of dark occult magic. They look similar to a very large wolf with fangs and a whip-like tail and glowing emerald eyes. It acts like an animal, but at times can think like a human."

"Are you sure that's what it is?" Cara asked as panic began to claw at her. She hated magic.

"Have you ever heard anything on earth make a noise quite like that before?" Zedd demanded to know.

"No, but…" the Mord'Sith began.

"We need to get moving," Zedd insisted. "We have to find Richard and Kahlan right away, make sure they are able to find the Stone of Tears in time before those creatures from the Underworld catch up with them."

"So all of this that is going on is again Seeker Richard's fault?" Hadi spat out from behind Tolla Nakunam.

Cara sneered at him, her hand going for her agiel more than ready to silence him once and for all. "How dare you blame Richard for all of this," she heatedly shot back. "He's doing everything in his power to save us all and you want to lay blame on him?"

"He has done nothing but bring trouble down upon us," Hadi sneered back at her.

"Hadi!" Tolla snapped with a severe look over his shoulder at his warrior. "That will be enough."

"It's the truth and you know it," Hadi seethed. "You are just as blind as Mitta, accepting the outside world into our village when we would be better off sticking to our old ways and traditions."

"I said that will be enough," Tolla hissed, spinning on his heel to face Hadi, holding his spear across his body in warning.

"Hadi, stop!" Temin ordered him, grabbing him by the shoulder from behind.

Hadi roughly shrugged Temin's hand off of him, his dark glower directed at Tolla Nakunam before he finally stormed away from them, falling to the back of the small Aku warrior party that had accompanied Zedd and Cara.

"How do we stop these creatures from the Underworld?" Cara finally asked, turning her attention back to Zedd. "Do you know anything about dark occult magic?"

"I know some, but I'm afraid it might not be enough," Zedd informed them, rubbing his chin in thought. "That's why we need to get to Richard and Kahlan as soon as we can to help them complete the quest and stop the Keeper."

Cara's hands found her hips, her pulse racing with the thought of her friends being hunted down like animals. "So finding the Stone of Tears and sealing the rift is the only way to stop not only the Keeper, but these wolf creatures as well?"

"That's my thinking," the old Wizard admitted.

"So killing these creatures won't work?" Tolla asked, his forehead creased.

"How do you kill what's already dead to begin with?" Zedd pointed out.

Tolla muttered something under his breath in his Aku native tongue and while Cara and Zedd didn't understand what he had just said, the meaning was well understood. They could hardly blame him. They were equally afraid for Richard and Kahlan by this recent turn of events.

"Well, we're running out of time to find the Stone," Cara reminded them. "They have until tomorrow when the sun sets. After that, life as we know it will cease to exist. It'll all belong to the Keeper."

"I wouldn't give up on Richard and Kahlan just yet, my dear," Zedd grimly replied, placing his hand on the Mord'Sith's shoulder and squeezing it gently. "They have been known to make the seemingly impossible more than possible."

XXX

Richard checked the compass again, pausing to look around at their surroundings. The compass had suddenly quit working, the warmth and soft blue glow vanishing without warning. It was as if it had just suddenly died.

"What's the matter?" Kahlan asked she looked from Richard to the compass and back to her Seeker.

"I don't know," Richard muttered with a shake of his head. "The compass is acting as if we've found the Stone of Tears, but there's nothing here."

Richard's shoulders slumped in defeat, his anger and frustration stirring within him. Everything inside of him wanted to just hurl the compass as far as he could and walk away, to take Kahlan back to Westland and hide in the mountains, but unfortunately that wasn't an option.

"I don't see anything but trees," she frowned.

"There's got to be something around here somewhere," he muttered under his breath as he held the compass up in the air, sweeping his arm from side to side in hopes of something suddenly happening and revealing what he so desperately needed to find.

Kahlan's hands found her hips as she bit her bottom lip, her intense gaze taking in their surroundings. The air was unexpectedly peaceful, almost serene for once. Birds softly chirped overhead, ground squirrels skittering through the bushes as they scurried around looking for food.

It was strangely odd compared to the utter chaos and madness that had been surrounding them since escaping the People's Palace. She couldn't even hear the howling of the creatures from the Underworld that the Keeper had unleashed on them, the eerie shrieking that had been following them all day.

She didn't know whether to be relieved or more afraid at that moment.

She looked up overhead at the thick canopy of emerald green that protected them from the rain that was beginning to fall, the soft patter of droplets against the foliage. She loved the sound of falling rain. It was something that seemed to almost soothe her for some reason.

She turned her attention back to her Seeker, pausing to study his handsome profile, his tanned face. She felt longing begin to stir deep in her core, a need that never seemed to ever quite go away. It only seemed to grow stronger over time.

She watched as his brow knitted together in frustrated concentration as he slowly began to walk in small circles, gradually widening as he searched for what he so desperately needed to find. And while she didn't fully understand it all, she knew she trusted him completely, knew that he would succeed no matter what happened.

Richard's eyes practically burned through the thick blanket of foliage that encompassed them, seeking for what he needed to finally end this. He couldn't help but feel that something was here, something that they just weren't seeing.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his head of all the thoughts and emotions that attempted to distract him from his quest, his worry for Kahlan that had become a constant companion since he had first laid eyes on her. His heart had been hers ever since and nothing would ever change that.

Taking a deep breath, Richard finally opened his eyes, his vision seeming sharper than before, the world suddenly clearer. His raptor gaze slowly swept over their surroundings once more, this time seeing everything in a new light.

Despite the damp dimness that had washed through the forest with the rainstorm that had developed, the area surrounding them seemed brighter somehow. Glancing to his left, he suddenly noticed a curtain of vines that he swore had not been there before.

He slowly made his way towards it, his hand reaching out to run over the intricate lacing of broad vines that created a dense shield for something. Slipping his compass into his pocket, he unsheathed his sword, its familiar ring filling the air.

Kahlan followed him, unsure of what he was doing, but was prepared to follow him anywhere, even to the ends of the earth if needed. She watched as he continued to run his hand over the vine barrier that separated them from the unknown.

Suddenly, shrieking howls erupted all around them, echoing and vibrating through their chests. Kahlan instantly went for her daggers, ready for a fight despite how terrified she was. Richard, on the other hand, barely seemed to register that they were about to be attacked, his focus solely on the vine curtain before them.

"Richard?" Kahlan's fearful voice finally managed to choke out as she stood with her back to him, her attention on the woods surround them and the impending attack that was about to erupt.

Richard didn't answer her, focused instead on searching for a way through the barrier. He knew the answer lay behind these vines. He just needed to find a way to get through it.

"Richard?" Kahlan's voice was rising with her panic as the howls grew louder, an icy shiver racing through her.

"Just give me a moment," he calmly murmured as if completely unaware of the impending threat.

He needed to know what was beyond these vines, what was being hidden from sight. He knew in his heart it had to be the Stone of Tears. This was where the compass had led them; this was his destination.

"Here!" he suddenly exclaimed, finding a crease in the vines.

Using his sword, Richard gently separated the vines, finding a hidden opening. He quickly snatched Kahlan's arm, pulling her with him as he crossed through the barrier that seemed to separate the forest from a whole other world hidden away from prying eyes.

Stepping into the other side, Richard and Kahlan froze at what they found, a secret world hidden away in the woods. The sounds of the howling of the Underworld had suddenly gone dead as the vines fell back into place, concealing the Seeker and Confessor inside this new world.

"What is this place?" Kahlan whispered in awe of what lay before them.

"I have no idea," Richard shook his head in stunned disbelief.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Richard could barely process what he was seeing as he stood in absolute wonder at the scene spread out before him. He glanced at Kahlan to find her in the same state of stunned disbelief as she stared at the world they now found themselves standing in.

It was as if a small pocket of time had been secretly tucked away right here in the woods of D'Hara, hidden away and protected by magic for some unknown purpose. If it hadn't been for the compass, he never would have known it was here, would've walked right past it and missed seeing the most magnificent scene he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Are we still in D'Hara?" Kahlan asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I have no idea, but I hope so," Richard shook his head as he drank in his surroundings. "I've never seen anything like it before. It's absolutely beautiful."

"I don't know if I have or not," she frowned. "I wish I could be more helpful, but I just can't remember."

"It's alright, Kahlan," he reassured her. "We'll figure it out together."

"So what now?" she asked, her hands finding her hips.

Richard pulled out the compass once more, flipping it open and surprised to find it glowing again. He slowly turned from side to side as he began to move forward, watching to see how the compass reacted to his movements.

It was hard to determine now whether they were moving north or south, east or west as he proceeded forward. He had lost all sense of direction since entering this secret sanctuary, the sun no longer in view and nothing but trees and foliage to be his guide now.

There was an eternal glow that seemed to radiate off of everything, its source seeming to be the very ground they walked on. Trees seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see, bright green grass spread like a soft blanket covering the earth.

Gone was the gray rainy sky and in its place was a vast sea of blue that regularly peeked through the green covering of leaves interlaced like delicate fingers above them. The air was warm against his face, a gentle breeze coming through the trees. This was paradise.

Kahlan felt a strange sense of peace being here, a rush of tranquility softly pulsating through her as she followed Richard. She didn't know if she had maybe been here before and that was why she felt so safe or if it was some other reason, but she found that she didn't want to leave this place.

There was such a sweet sense of serenity here compared to the outside world where mass chaos had reigned supreme over every living thing. She wanted to hide away here with Richard, to marry him, and build a life with him in this haven.

She had an overwhelming feeling building inside telling her that that was something that could never happen. She suddenly felt very sad with that knowledge, of not having a future with the Seeker that went beyond the bounds of just friendship.

She wanted to be his lover, his wife, the mother of his children. She wanted to be the one to greet him every morning when he opened his eyes and the body that he clung to every night when he finally closed his eyes again to sleep.

She found that she wanted that more than anything in this world. But how could she possibly be in love with another when she possessed such intense feelings for Richard?

She couldn't help but wish that it was she that Richard loved above all else instead of another. She knew it was incredibly selfish of her being in love with this amazing man walking beside her when she belonged to some other man, when he wasn't even free to love her in return.

Guilt welled like a bitter poison within her, threatening to destroy the peacefulness that had just encompassed her like a warm blanket. Tears filled her throat causing it to tighten painfully, but she swallowed them back.

What kind of person was she that she would allow herself to fall in love with her Seeker when she was supposed to be in love with another?

She needed to bury her feelings for Richard before they reached the others, before she had to watch him with the woman that he truly loved. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing him with another woman, kissing her, knowing what they were doing behind closed doors together.

She suddenly felt ill to the core of her being. She wouldn't be able to be around him when they returned and this was all finally over with. She'd have to move away, some place where she could just try to forget about him.

She knew it would never work, though. How could anyone forget a man like Richard Cypher? He owned her heart and no one was ever going to be able to change that. No one.

Richard glanced at Kahlan, the expression on her face immediately tugging at his heart. She looked exhausted, her face pale, anguish permeating her blue eyes.

"Kahlan, do you want to stop and rest for a little bit?" he asked. "We haven't had a chance to eat anything since early this morning."

"Alright," she softly agreed as she followed him to sit beneath the boughs of a large oak tree.

Richard frowned as he watched her sit on the ground a few feet away from him, much too far for his liking. Why was she suddenly putting so much distance between them?

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out the last of their dried meat, knowing they were going to have to replenish their supplies soon. Unfortunately, time was not on their side any longer. He handed her a piece of dried unison, their fingers brushing against each other's for the briefest moment. Their eyes both flew up to meet the others, their heated gazes locking for a breath too long.

Kahlan quickly pulled her hand back with a murmured thank you on her lips. She averted her eyes, the feel of his stare making her flush warmly inside. She drew a deep breath, trying desperately to get her mind off of her Seeker and onto something else, but with her limited memories and the burning longing simmering within for him; it was proving more than difficult.

"I hope the Stone of Tears is close," Richard casually said, trying to break the suddenly uncomfortable silence that had unexpectedly erupted between them.

"Do you really think the stone could be here?" Kahlan asked, chewing slowly on the venison, racking her brain for anything that she could possibly recall about the Stone of Tears. Unfortunately, her mind was like a blank canvas, a life completely erased, experiences and loved ones gone as if they'd never even existed.

"The compass says that it is," he sighed. "We're quickly running out of time. I have to find it and get it to the Pillars of Creation."

Kahlan sat thoughtfully as she ate the venison, her sad countenance worrying Richard. He hated seeing her hurt or upset, wanting to bring her the happiness that she so deserved.

"Kahlan, are you alright?" he finally asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Yes, I just wish I could remember my life," she lied…well, not exactly. She did wish that she could remember, but it was her feelings for Richard that had her so upset now.

Richard studied her for a moment, knowing there was something more to it than just that. He could see it in her eyes that she was holding more back, but he hated to push her or force her to talk to him if she didn't want to.

He so badly wanted her to feel as though she could talk to him about anything, wanted her to want to share a life with him. He wanted to give her everything he had, hungered to give himself to her all over again.

Kahlan looked up to see heated desire dancing in his eyes as he watched her, causing her pulse to suddenly race. Why was he looking at her that way? They were both in love with someone else. Had he somehow picked up on her feelings that had been growing harder and harder to control? Had she unknowingly encouraged this?

She finally forced herself to look away despite the overpowering urge to push him down in the grass and make love with him. The attraction she felt towards him was unmistakable, the pull growing undeniable.

Kahlan swore that she'd go mad if she didn't feel his mouth against hers soon, his powerful hands touching her, stroking her and bringing her incredible pleasure.

"I should take care of your arm before it gets infected," she suddenly said, her voice sounding sultrier than she had expected.

"Kahlan, it'll be fine," Richard tried to argue.

"Don't argue with me, Seeker," she stated, moving to sit beside him. "I may not remember much, but I have a pretty good feeling that I can be painfully stubborn so don't bother trying to fight me."

"You have no idea," he muttered under his breath in amusement as he turned his head to watch her untie the now blood-soaked material that she had wrapped around his arm earlier.

"You make me sound like a horrible person to be around," she teased as she tried to focus on his wound and not on the soft whisper of his warm breath against her face, his woodsy masculine scent driving her desire even higher. "It's a wonder you can stand to be around me."

Richard chuckled softly with her response. "Not in the least," he replied with a lop-sided grin. "My life didn't begin until I met you, Kahlan."

He immediately froze with his words, suddenly realizing what he had just said. A thousand butterfly wings began fluttering wildly in the pit of his stomach, his eyes leaving his arm to snap up and meet hers. Had she picked up on the true meaning behind his words?

Her sapphire eyes flitted up to meet his, the questions she had dancing there unspoken in those depths and hanging so awkwardly in the air between them. The air suddenly felt much warmer, the sexual tension nearly suffocating.

His gaze fell to her sweet lips, the desire to kiss her building in powerful waves within him. He wanted to turn and grab hold of her, to kiss her breathless, to lay her back in the thick grass and take her right here.

His body was pounding with a need so fierce, begging to be buried deep within her. His breath caught in his throat as images of making love in the Aku village flashed through his mind, tormenting him with the blissful passion they had once shared.

Kahlan bit her bottom lip as she began cleaning the wound, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest the longer she stayed so close to him. She focused her attention instead on the deep cut in his upper arm, but that wasn't helping either.

Her gaze followed the chiseled curve of his muscles, the powerful dips and curves making it near impossible to focus when she could only imagine the perfection that was the rest of his body. Her tongue suddenly darted out to wet her lips, causing Richard to gasp softly.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked, confused by the strangled sound that had escaped his lips.

"No," he murmured with a definite shake of his head. "It's alright…keep going."

"I'm sorry," she frowned. "I'll hurry."

"No, it's alright…take your time," he insisted, his voice husky with longing.

Her scent was heating his blood, the feel of her fingers against his skin making him want so much more from her. He watched as a raven lock of hair suddenly fell across her forehead as she began wrapping his arm with a clean bandage. His hand was itching to tuck it behind her ear, to run his fingers through her thick hair.

He wanted to run his mouth over every square inch of her beautiful body over and over again, to hear his name being screamed by her as he drove himself deeper and deeper into her, to…

"Richard?" Kahlan called his name again.

"What?"

"I said can I ask you about something," she repeated, suddenly noticing the flush of his face.

"Always, Kahlan," he sincerely said. "You can ask me anything."

"What are my father and mother like?" she asked.

"To tell you the truth, I don't really know," he reluctantly admitted. "I've never met your parents. I'm sorry to tell you this, Kahlan, but your mother passed away years ago and you're not very close with your father. In fact, I'm not sure you even know where exactly he is now."

"Oh…I see," she whispered as tears instantly sprung to her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Kahlan," he softly said, turning towards her, his hand coming to rest against her cheek.

"How did my mother die?"

"You never told me," he frowned, sadness in his chestnut brown eyes. "You only said that she had died when you and Dennee were little girls."

"Dennee?" she asked, puzzled.

"She was your sister, but I'm afraid that she's gone as well," he informed her.

Kahlan's bottom lip began to tremble as tears suddenly spilled down her cheeks. "So…I'm all alone."

"No, Kahlan…never," he adamantly told her, his hand slipping into her hair to firmly grasp the nape of her neck. "You are never alone because I will always be with you. Don't ever forget that."

Without a second thought, Richard leaned in pressing his lips against her forehead, suddenly catching himself as he tilted his head, beginning to search out her mouth. He swiftly pulled back, swallowing hard as he struggled to rein in his desire that was blazing out of control.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, silently cursing himself for not being stronger when it came to her.

"It's alright," she smiled softly, happiness abruptly flooding her heart with the brief chaste kiss he had given her. It hadn't been her lips that he had touched, but it was more than she could've ever hoped for.

She began wrapping his arm again before stopping all of the sudden. Richard turned to look at her again, noticing the perplexed expression that had filled her face. "What is it?"

"I've done this before, haven't I?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head.

A smile spread across his handsome face as memories resurfaced in his mind as well. "Yes, after a battle with soldiers," he nodded his head. "You were tending to my arm that time as well."

"A young red-headed boy was with us," she muttered as her voice grew distant. "We were trying to protect him."

"Renn," Richard grinned at her, beyond relieved that her memories were slowly returning. Now, if she could just remember that she loved him.

"He was special," she smiled fondly with the memory. "He could read our minds."

Richard nodded his head, pleased that the pieces were beginning to fall together for her. "What else do you remember?" he asked, hoping she would remember when they took him to the Sisters of the Light and the comment he had made about them being parents one day.

He hoped that it would help trigger more memories for her, ones that involved him and her and the intimate moments that they had shared over the last two years and especially the last couple of weeks.

Although aching to be with her again, he just wanted her to be able to regain her memories, to have her life back again. It hurt him to see her struggling to recover what Demos had stolen from her with that damned marking spell.

He watched as a smirk formed on her lips, her blue eyes sparkling once more with obvious amusement. It made his heart suddenly soar.

"I remember you cornering Renn and him kicking you in a not so very nice place," she giggled, her hand covering her mouth in a futile effort to stifle her laughter. He found it positively adorable.

Richard couldn't help but laugh as well. "Yes, Renn was quite a handful, but he turned out to be a good kid."

"I wonder how he's doing," she thought out loud.

"I often wonder that too," he wistfully replied. "Maybe when all of this is over, we can go visit him."

Kahlan's face slowly turned from one of fond remembrance and amusement to uneasiness. "What's the matter?" he frowned. "Did you remember something else?"

"When we left Renn, you said something about us knowing how to be parents someday because we will have already had the practice."

Richard watched as her forehead creased, her cheeks growing pink. It set his heart to pounding with hope that she would finally realize that it was him that loved her. It had always been Kahlan for him even before he had met her. It was as if the notion of her had always been there in his heart just waiting for her to come running into his woods and into his life.

"Were we together at one time, Richard?" she softly asked, tentativeness clouding her face.

"Not at that moment, but…yes, Kahlan," he told her, his heart nearly beating out of his chest as he fully turned to face her.

Kahlan looked away from the piercing stare studying her so intently. Confusion mingled with shock as she fought to sort through this newest revelation. Why hadn't he told her about it before? About them?

It was no wonder that she struggled with such intense feelings for him, but what had happened to cause them to no longer be together? Had he found someone he loved more than her?"

The thought tore at her heart, nearly taking her breath away. "That's why I feel this way," she murmured more to herself than to him.

Richard's hands quickly slipped up to grasp hold of her face, forcing her to look at him and meet his gaze. "What, Kahlan?" he demanded more forcefully than he'd intended. "What have you been feeling?"

"I…I feel such…" she paused, fighting to find the words that seemed to stick to her tongue, the very words she'd been desperate to tell him but didn't know how to say all of the sudden.

"Welcome to Canecia."

The sound of a melodious female voice suddenly cut through their intimate moment, forcing Richard to release his hold on her. This woman couldn't have come at a worse possible time. He growled angrily under his breath as he stood to his feet to find a beautiful woman with long blond hair dressed in a flowing light blue dress.

"Welcome to Canecia, Seeker of Truth and Mother Confessor," the young woman smiled pleasantly. "We've been expecting you."


	13. Chapter 13

**You guys are SO going to hate me after reading this update. Just please hang with me, guys! :)**

**Chapter 13**

Mistress Lucinda scowled as Mistress Natalie gave her an update. "So far all for the D'Haran Quads and Mord'Sith out searching for the Seeker and Mother Confessor have reported back in except for one to the southwest.

"We better head that way," Lucinda frowned as she looked up at the sun in the sky. "Our Sisters must have gotten into trouble which means that's the direction Richard and Kahlan are heading."

Natalie grinned. "Lord Demos will be most pleased with us when we return with the Seeker and Mother Confessor."

Lucinda ground her teeth as she stared at the woman that she had found pleasuring Demos the other day. It made her blood boil in her veins, the image of her kneeling between Demos's legs forever burned into her mind.

If Natalie wasn't her Sister of the Agiel, she'd kill her right here where she stood.

Swallowing back her jealousy, Lucinda forced herself to focus on finding the other source of her rage. "Tell the others to prepare to move on. I'll not stop until I get my hands on them for trying to end Demos's life."

"You can't kill them, Mistress," Natalie warned her with a frown. "Demos wants them alive."

Lucinda's eyes flashed with anger. "I know what Lord Demos's orders are," she snapped. "Do not question me again."

"Yes, Mistress," Natalie replied with downcast eyes.

"And don't expect Demos to be calling for your special services for too much longer either," Lucinda bit out.

The petite Mord'Sith looked up into the eyes of her taller Sister, confusion filling her eyes. "Yes, Mistress," she murmured, lowering her head. "But I cannot ignore him when Master Rahl calls for me."

Lucinda's gaze narrowed further into heated beams of pure hatred. "And just how often does Lord Rahl call for you to perform your special services for him."

Natalie looked up, her eyes brightening some with the question until she saw the wrath in her Sister's cold eyes. "Every day…sometimes a couple of times a day," she reluctantly admitted. "It just depends on his mood. He says that I'm the only one who can bring him pleasure the way that he likes and needs."

Lucinda almost shook from the jealous rage tearing through her at that moment. "Go see that our Sisters are prepared to move on," she managed to say.

She watched as Mistress Natalie left to follow her orders. She readily decided that Kahlan Amnell would not be the only one who would not be returning to the People's Palace and Lord Demos Rahl. She was more than prepared to eliminate anyone who stood in the way of her having Demos all to herself.

XXX

Zedd frowned at he stared up at the sky causing Cara and Tolla to look up as well in confusion. "What's wrong?" Cara finally asked.

"The tracer cloud I created to track down Richard and Kahlan has stopped," he mumbled.

"Isn't that good?" Tolla Nakunam asked. "That means we can catch up with Seeker Richard and Confessor Kahlan."

"Could be," Zedd muttered as he stroked his chin in thought. "Could be bad as well."

"In what way?" Tolla shook his head, confused.

"They could have run into some trouble of some kind," the old Wizard informed them. "Let's just hope we can get to them in time because I'm afraid we're quickly running out of it."

Cara didn't like what Zedd was telling them or rather not telling them. It only increased her fear and worry over her friends about who had gotten to them before they could.

XXX

"How do you know who we are?" Richard asked in suspicion, his hand coming to rest on the hilt of his sword as he studied the beautiful woman before him.

"Prophecy runs far and wide concerning the Seeker of Truth and his Confessor," she pleasantly replied, her brown eyes roaming over him. "My name is Eyeria. Come, we have much to celebrate."

Kahlan instantly bristled at the way Eyeria looked at Richard as if he was hers to take. She may not be able to remember her past with Richard or all that had happened between them, but she did know the love she felt inside for him, how much he truly meant to her.

Richard glance at Kahlan, noticing the dislike and distrust in her eyes. He didn't exactly like this situation either, but if she could help lead them to the Stone of Tears then they had no choice but to go with her. He wanted this over as soon as possible so he could help Kahlan get her memories back and then marry her.

"Our conversation from earlier is far from over, Kahlan," he firmly told her as he momentarily turned his attention to her, leaning down to pick up his pack.

Kahlan nodded her head, embarrassed that she had even said anything about the feelings that she had inside for him. They were both supposed to be in love with someone else, her heart supposedly belonging to another man. Then why did it feel as though her heart only beat for Richard?

She reluctantly gathered up her pack and followed Richard as Eyeria led them through the woods to only Spirits knew where. Despite the sense of tranquility this place seemed to instill deep within her, she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling that something was very wrong here.

She kept a sharp eye on Richard as well as their surroundings as the trees suddenly gave way to a breathtaking village surrounding a large lake of the purest blue she'd ever seen. Flowers of every color littered the grassy plains that surrounded the white tent like shelters that served as their homes.

The white material of the tents billowed softly in the tranquil breeze as they drew closer, the scent of lavender filling the area and adding to the serenity that continually drifted over her.

She felt such a powerful draw to this place, a desire to stay and never leave despite Eyeria's obvious attraction to Richard. He seemed to be oblivious to her flirtatious glances. Either that or he was enjoying the attention.

The thought infuriated her greatly, more than she ever could've imagined.

"Are we still in D'Hara?" Richard finally asked after walking some time in silence.

"No," Eyeria simply replied, not offering up any more explanation than that.

"Where are we then?" Kahlan asked, exasperation filling her voice.

"You would not be able to process it even if I told you," Eyeria replied, looking at Richard instead of Kahlan.

Kahlan gritted her teeth; her jealousy flaring at Eyeria's veiled condescending tone. "Why don't you give us a try," she bit out, somewhat annoyed with Richard who appeared completely unaware of the woman's aversion to her. Maybe it was because of the way Eyeria kept batting her eyelashes at her Seeker.

"You are in Canecia," she stated as if it was completely obvious. "Time does not exist here. We are in a completely different plane of existence outside of D'Hara."

"So what happens when we leave this place?" Richard asked in confusion.

"When you leave, you will step back into D'Hara at the precise moment that you left it," Eyeria explained, her focus solely on the Seeker as if Kahlan did not exist. She moved to walk closer to him, her hand stroking his arm. "But why would you ever want to leave this place?"

Richard looked down at the woman's hand on his arm, his eyes lifting to meet hers. She was quite beautiful, her brown eyes so soft and mesmerizing. It was like walking through some sort of dream, one that he found he didn't want to leave.

He smiled at her, his heart beginning to race as she continued to stroke his arm. He found that he really liked it here, wanted to see more of this place as well as her as euphoria washed through him like a warm summer rain.

His other hand moved to softly touch the one she had rested on his arm, his smile growing the longer he stared into her beautiful eyes. He found he couldn't look away from her, wanted to kiss her.

"We have to find the Stone of Tears and seal the rift," Kahlan angrily snapped as she watched the exchange between Richard and Eyeria. Something was definitely happening here, something that was affecting her Seeker and not in a good way.

"We have all the time in the world, Kahlan," Richard murmured, his focus locked on Eyeria. "Remember, time doesn't exist here. We can stay here for as long as we wish. It will be good to just relax for a little while, wouldn't it?"

"And what about Cara and Zedd?" Kahlan pressed, her hand moving to grab hold of his other arm, pulling him to a stop.

Eyeria stopped as well, her glare falling on the Mother Confessor. "There are no worries here, Confessor," she informed her. "This is a place of pure joy and happiness. Anything you want, you can have."

Kahlan bristled further with the way that Eyeria said that, the way that her toffee brown eyes practically glowed as she stared hungrily at Richard. "We are only here to find the Stone and stop the Keeper. Nothing more."

"Kahlan, relax," the Seeker told her, not even looking at her. "I'm sure Zedd and Cara are fine. They can wait for us in the Aku village. We deserve this after all we've been through."

"Richard…" Kahlan snapped, her irritation building.

"Kahlan," Richard angrily growled, finally turning his attention to his Confessor. "We are staying for a while. End of argument."

Kahlan froze with his sudden anger, the flash of warning in his chestnut brown eyes. She didn't remember much, but this definitely didn't seem like Richard at all. He wasn't the kind of person who got angry with her over something like this, someone who chose pleasure over duty.

"Fine," Kahlan ground out, anxious to get him alone where she could talk to him in private without the obvious influence of this woman.

With a huff of agitation, she turned to follow Richard and Eyeria, her jealous fury burning hotter by the moment as the beautiful woman virtually clung to Richard as if she owned him. What infuriated her even more was the fact that Richard practically welcomed it. It was like Kahlan no longer even existed or mattered to him any longer.

She was going to have to keep her head about this, be the one who remained focused because Richard was clearly being strongly influenced by whatever was happening here. She just wished that Zedd and Cara were here to help her. She had a very bad feeling that this could possibly turn into a fight in order to get him out of here.

She did her best to clear her mind, taking a deep breath to try and focus her anger into getting them out of here. The feel of the tall blades of grass brushing against her legs, the soft gentle breeze, and the scent of the flowers was helping to seep the aggression from her soul.

There was definitely something very magical about this place, more than just the fact that time and place didn't seem to exist here. Serenity like she'd never felt before continued to drift through her, creating a calming center deep within her.

Maybe Richard was right. Maybe they could stay here for a little while. Maybe if she had a chance to finally rest and relax, her memories would return more quickly. The thought put a small smile on her face as they neared the village.

She could finally remember her past with Richard and what he truly meant to her, why she felt such an overwhelming pull of attraction and longing for him. She just needed to get Eyeria away from him and soon before she took him away from her.

Entering the village, Kahlan was surprised to see the tent like structures were made of a gauzy white material that billowed softly in the wind making it appear as though they were surrounded by fluffy white clouds.

It was as if they were walking in the sky, gliding on air as Eyeria led them deeper into the heart of the village. People began to come out of their homes, everyone dressed in the similar light blue flowing dresses that Eyeria was wearing.

Everyone had blond hair and smiles that immediately made Kahlan feel at ease despite the fact that Eyeria had pretty much confiscated Richard as her very own.

"Everyone come!" Eyeria gleefully called out as she came to a stop before a large tent. "This is the prophesied Seeker of Truth! He has finally come to us!"

Kahlan looked around at the large gathering of people who had formed a vast circle around them. Something about all of this continued to nag at the back of her brain, but she couldn't put her finger on it as Eyeria continued to speak.

"Let us begin the celebration for the Seeker has come!"

A large round of cheers and clapping filled her ears as everyone pressed in around Richard, all of them attempting to get a better look at him or to touch him as if to confirm that he was really there with them in their presence.

Richard turned in a small circle, taking in all the attention and adoration that was being showered upon him. He smiled at those gathered around him, in complete awe of what was taking place. Seeing his shock, Eyeria leaned in close, whispering in his ear.

"You deserve all of this…and so much more, Seeker," she murmured, kissing him softly on the cheek.

Kahlan tried to work her way closer to Richard, but was blocked by the throngs of Canecians surrounding him. She felt her anger building once more, watching helplessly as Eyeria kissed Richard on the cheek, the way that he looked at her in complete wonder and adoration.

She felt as though her heart was breaking into thousands of pieces in her chest, the jagged edges creating sharp waves of pain with every breath she drew. Tears stung her eyes and filled her throat as she watched the man she loved more than life itself being swallowed up by the swarming masses.

She felt a sudden hand lightly grip her shoulder, causing her to stop. She turned around to find herself staring into the sky blue eyes of a handsome man with blond hair that hung in long loose curls about his tanned face.

"Confessor, welcome to Canecia," the man said with a gentle smile. "My name is Eliam."

"Thank you," she softly said. "Please, call me Kahlan."

"The Seeker is getting quite the welcome, but I know that he wouldn't be where he is without his faithful Confessor at his side," Eliam told her. "You deserve as much praise as he does."

"He is the true hero," Kahlan replied, turning her attention back to her Seeker who was being pulled away by Eyeria.

Eliam smiled at her humility. "You are as graceful and as beautiful as the prophecies have said."

Kahlan felt her cheeks grow warm with his compliment. She shyly averted her eyes. "You are very kind, Eliam."

He readily offered his arm to the Mother Confessor, his blue eyes never leaving her face. "Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the celebration we've prepared for your arrival?"

Kahlan took his arm, a soft flutter of nervousness unexpectedly arising out of nowhere as she allowed the tall handsome man to escort her into the large tent. Entering, she looked to see everyone taking seats on large golden pillows scattered throughout on the grass.

In the center of the tent, a large low table filled with fruits and dishes of everything imaginable waited for them. "How did you know we were coming now?" Kahlan asked.

"We know everything about you and the Seeker," Eliam smiled at her. "This is a place of learning and prophecy, a place of great joy and wonder."

"This is a place of magic," she shook her head in amazement. "How do you deal in prophecy if time does not exist here?"

Eliam led her to a large pillow, helping her to sit before settling down beside her. "It's a very complicated matter," he frowned. "One that is for another…time…so to speak."

Kahlan chuckled softly with his words. "You are a very mysterious person, Eliam. I'm anxious to learn more about your people."

"We want you and Richard to enjoy your time here, to have the happiness that you both deserve," he replied. "You have both sacrificed so very much for everyone else. It is time you both receive some rest and peace for once."

Kahlan stared into his sky blue eyes. She found she was losing herself to those depths, wanting to know more about him. She felt herself flush warmly as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lightly grazing along her cheek.

Her lips parted slightly, a soft gasp escaping as someone carrying a tray of food suddenly stopped by, interrupting the moment. "Wine?" the young girl offered, handing Kahlan a golden goblet lined in rubies.

"Yes, thank you," Eliam responded for her, taking the offered drink and handing it to Kahlan.

The girl set down two plates, loading both with exquisite foods of every kind imaginable. Kahlan had to admit she was rather famished. They'd had little time to eat lately, almost constantly on the run from D'Haran soldiers and those terrifying wolf creatures from the Underworld. She was beyond exhausted, her nerves frayed almost beyond repair with all that had recently happened especially with her feelings for Richard.

Taking a handful of grapes, Kahlan finally broke her gaze from Eliam to search for her Seeker. She found him lounging on his side on a pillow, surrounded by four blond women caressing him, all beautiful and all completely enamored with the Seeker of Truth.

Eyeria was sitting in front of him, feeding him pieces of fruit, kissing him after each grape she gave him. It made jealous rage sear through her veins. It took everything within her not to go over there and confess that witch who had her hands on the man that she loved.

Something inside of her was of keeping her from going over there, though. For some reason, she felt undeniable grief mingled with indescribable euphoria. It made absolutely no sense whatsoever. She felt tears brimming in her eyes as Richard smiled and laughed as he talked to Eyeria, completely oblivious to where Kahlan was and obviously not even caring in the least.

Since meeting Eyeria, he'd barely even registered that Kahlan even existed. It was a painful feeling that was slowly eating away at her insides. He truly didn't have any feelings for her, didn't love her. But if he was truly in love with someone else then why was he acting like this?

None of this made any sense.

The sudden feel of gentle fingers lightly stroking across her cheek quickly drew her from her tormented thoughts and feelings that were beginning to storm out of control. She turned to find Eliam staring at her, his hand coming to rest against her cheek.

"Don't cry, sweet Kahlan," he tenderly said as he continued to stroke her cheek, his beautiful eyes drinking her in. "No tears here…only smiles and complete ecstasy."

"What is going on here, Eliam?" she softly asked, confused.

"Utopia," he smiled at her, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Richard felt his entire body relax as Eyeria continued to feed him, her lips softly brushing against his as a reward after every bite she fed him. He had never felt such overwhelming tranquility and peace, a complete sense of wellbeing. It was a pleasurable reprieve from the madness that had been following them for months now.

He sighed in contentment as Eyeria placed a piece of fruit in his mouth, her fingers lingering along his lips and caressing them seductively. He gazed up into her eyes with growing longing as he took her finger into his mouth and sucked on it.

She smiled with wide-eyed amusement and desire, her toffee brown eyes growing darker the longer they teased and flirted with one another. She leaned down, kissing him slowly, her tongue slipping inside to caress the roof of his mouth.

He moaned softly, his desire rising along with a niggling in the back of his mind that tried to tell him that this was very wrong. He suddenly pulled back, breaking the kiss with a frown. He quickly began looking around the large tented area, searching for Kahlan.

He had somehow forgotten that she had been with him causing his guilt to spike. How could he have completely forgotten about his Confessor…the woman he loved above all else?

He sat up a little, his dark chestnut eyes scanning the area in search of her. His pulse began to race as worry crept over him. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her. He had to find her, get the Stone of Tears and get out of this place no matter how strong the pull to stay was becoming.

"What's wrong, Richard?" Eyeria asked, concern veiling her face as she began to stroke his chest.

"Where's Kahlan?" he demanded, sitting up now and pushing the hands away of the women who had been stroking his neck, back, and legs. "I have to find her."

Eyeria smiled patiently at him, her hands snaking up his chest to cup his face. "She's fine, Richard," she murmured. "She's being well taken care of…just like you."

She leaned in slowly to tease his bottom lip, her teeth raking gently against it as she tried to bring his focus back on her and away from his Confessor. Her hands slid up into his hair as she continued to nibble on his lip, her tongue sneaking out to glide gently across it.

Richard felt his body begin to thrum with desire, lust awakening within him the longer she kissed him. It caused his brain to grow foggy with pleasure as well as something else, something that made it very difficult to connect his thoughts and think straight.

She was doing something to him, something that he did not want and yet longed for. He wanted Kahlan, needed her, not this woman who was trying to seduce him. His hands moved to grasp her shoulders in an attempt to push her away, but instead he found himself pulling her closer as the kiss deepened.

He felt himself losing the battle to her as she continued to kiss him passionately, her hands stroking his chest again. He was growing harder by the moment, the need for her rising to almost unbearable levels now as thoughts of Kahlan begin to drift in and out of his consciousness.

Richard abruptly pulled away with a sharp gasp for air, his chest heaving as he scooted back away from her. He held his hand up, warning her to stay back and earning a hurt look of confusion from her in return.

He quickly stood to his feet, his intense gaze seeking out Kahlan. He had to get to her, to find her. She didn't have her memories. She needed him and he had totally abandoned her. He was suddenly sick to his core at having left her like he had, following the seductive scheming of this woman before him now.

His gut instantly tightened in jealous rage as he spotted Kahlan on the other side of the tent sitting with a blond-haired man who was caressing her cheek. He watched as the man leaned in and kissed Kahlan, as she kissed him back in return.

What was going on around here?

"Who is that man with Kahlan?" Richard demanded to know as Eyeria stood to her feet in attempt to lure him back down to his cushion.

Eyeria looked over her shoulder to where the Seeker was glaring to find Kahlan with a man. "That's my brother Eliam," she smiled. "I told you she was in good hands. He'll take very good care of your Confessor for you."

Richard's jaw instantly tightened with the implications of what she had just said, the way she had emphasized her words. "Kahlan is more than just my Confessor."

Eyeria didn't even flinch with the heat of his words or the meaning. She just moved to stand before him, attempting to block his view of Kahlan as she began to caress his face and neck. She leaned in, her lips and tongue blazing a hot wet trail along the corded tendon of his neck to his muscular chest.

"I can be everything that you need, Richard, and so very much more than she can," she softly told him. "Here in Canecia, everything is heightened – your joy, your pleasure…your ecstasy."

Richard's eyes fell closed at the feel of her lips slowly sucking and teasing him, her fingers tugging on his shirt and pulling it free from his breeches. He felt completely helpless, unable to fight what she was doing to him as her fingers skirted the edges of his pants.

He wanted her so badly and yet he wanted Kahlan even more. He wanted it to be Kahlan kissing him now, the one that he wanted to make love to and yet he couldn't. Kahlan didn't remember what they meant to each other, the love that they had shared before Demos had interfered with his damned marking spell.

"Richard, you need to relax," her melodic voice drifted through his ears. "I only want to bring you true pleasure. Let me help you release the pent up tension and frustration I can feel teeming inside of you begging to be set free."

Little did she know that tension and sexual frustration wasn't for her, but for Kahlan. And yet, he couldn't deny this sudden unexpected draw he felt towards this beautiful blond-haired woman before him now.

It wasn't his fault that Kahlan didn't remember him or their love. He needed this release, this pleasure, didn't he? It had been too long since he had last been with Kahlan and the demand for her growing inside of him was becoming excruciating. He needed her now more than ever, but he couldn't touch her for fear of making her memory loss permanent.

His body began to tremble with growing desire, an overwhelming demand that refused to be ignored. He finally gave in, succumbing to Eyeria's sensual ministrations, the feel of her lips against his chest and her hands raking through his hair.

She finally pulled back to gaze into his eyes, a sinful smile playing on her lips. "Come…let's go to my tent where I can help take care of your needs."

Everything inside of him was screaming to stop this and yet he was defenseless against her. She was seducing him and he couldn't fight her. He watched as her slender fingers slid from his hair and down his arm to grasp hold of his hand before leading him from the tent, all thoughts of Kahlan quickly fleeing his foggy mind.

Kahlan swiftly pulled back from Eliam's kiss, a fierce wave of regret and guilt welling within her. "I'm sorry…" she softly murmured. "I…I can't…"

Eliam tilted his head as he stared at her, his sky blue eyes darkening with longing. "It's alright, Kahlan," he gently said. "I only want to make you happy, to give you the love and adoration that you deserve."

Kahlan quickly shook her head as if trying to remove the blissful fog from her brain. "No, I love someone else. I won't betray him."

"Your Seeker Richard?" Eliam guessed, his eyes drifting to where Eyeria was leading Richard out. "He's in very good hands with my sister Eyeria. See?"

Kahlan looked over to see Richard being led out by Eyeria, his shirt hanging loose and his hair ruffled. It was painfully obvious what they had been doing and what they were about to do. It felt like a hot dagger had been thrust into her chest, piercing her heart.

Seeing her pain, Eliam's hand came to rest against her cheek. "It's alright, Kahlan," he tried to soothe her distress. "Everyone here is free to share their love with whomever they chose even if they are in love with someone else. It is our ways here. Just because he's with Eyeria right now doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. He's just experiencing the pure ecstasy that runs like current through Canecia."

She stared in stunned disbelief at the handsome man, unable to process what he was telling her. This wasn't making any sense. How could these people live like this? Loving someone and yet betraying that love by sharing their bodies with one another without even a second thought?

Kahlan swiftly leapt to her feet as angry tears filled her eyes. "What kind of people are you?"

"We are created to love and to share in all that the pleasure and joy that love can provide," Eliam said with a hint of confusion clouding his eyes.

She began to back away from him, desperation rising to find Richard and get Eyeria away from him. The thought of him with another woman made her ill inside. She suddenly wanted to vomit as she fought to catch her breath.

She quickly turned and fled the tent, Eliam calling her name as he followed her out into the bright sunlight that never seemed to fade. Her panic was rising as she fought the intense feelings storming within her.

"Kahlan wait!" Eliam called after her, perplexed by her reaction.

Kahlan stopped suddenly, spinning on her heel as her eyes flashed with deadly warning. "Leave me alone," she ground out as she raised her hand towards him.

Eliam's face creased with obvious worry as well as confusion as his gaze dropped to her outstretched hand. "Did I do something to offend you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "I only wish to please you, to make you feel love and happiness. Won't you let me do that for you?"

Kahlan took a step back as he drew closer, looming so large and so handsome before her. She could feel her resolve beginning to falter as she lost herself in his blue eyes, his striking features. His voice was like a song that seemed tuned into her heart, causing her to waver.

She unconsciously began to lower her hand as he came to a stop directly in front of her. "You've been through so very much, my beautiful Kahlan," he gently said, his hand softly stroking her hair in loving understanding. "Let me give you what you deserve."

"But…my magic…" she murmured, her eyes falling closed as he leaned in and began slowly kissing along her neck.

"Your magic doesn't work here," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending chills down her spine. "Haven't you felt an emptiness in your being where your magic resides?"

"Yes, but I thought…" she gasped as he began teasing her earlobe. "Richard…"

"Let Eyeria take care of Richard," he told her, his hands snaking around her waist, drawing her closer as he gripped his bottom, continuing his assault on her neck. "You are all that I'm concerned with, Kahlan. You have such pain that you're harboring in your heart, such overwhelming longing. Let me help you release it all."

"Eliam…please…" Kahlan softly begged, her breaths coming heavier. "I have to…I…Richard…"

She felt her thoughts growing more disconnected the longer he kissed along her throat, feelings of blissful euphoria washing away all logic and common sense as she yielded to the incredible pleasure he was building within her.

Without thinking, Kahlan suddenly turned her head, her mouth searching for his and kissing him passionately. She knew deep down inside of her that this was so wrong, but why did it have to feel so amazingly right at the same time?

Images of Richard flashed through her mind as she kissed Eliam as her heart fought to break through the haze this unusual place was creating deep within her mind. She felt so light and carefree and wonderful.

She abruptly pulled back with a sharp gasp, pushing Eliam away from her before running after Richard. She raced breathlessly between tents, her frantic gaze searching for the man who had captured her heart.

"Richard!" she called as she checked one tent after another, fear rising in her throat.

She came to an abrupt halt when she heard Eyeria moaning Richard's name, a breathy pleasure-filled sound that made her blood run like ice water in her veins. She immediately ran towards the tent, fearing what she would find and yet knowing that she needed to stop this.

If Richard truly wanted this other woman then she would be forced to walk away and allow him to have what he really wanted, but she didn't feel that he was that kind of a man, sleeping with anyone who crossed his path and turned his head. There was magic at play here and she had to make certain that he was in his right mind before he did something he might regret.

Kahlan entered the tent, her stomach dropping to her boots and a cry of anguish lodged in her throat. Eyeria was lying on top of a shirtless Richard on her bed, heatedly kissing him as his hands frantically roamed over her body like Kahlan had dreamed of him doing to her.

Eyeria's hands were undoing the laces of his breeches as he began to remove her dress, the sounds of their lustful passion nearly dropping her to her knees.

"Richard…no!" Kahlan gasped, tears beginning to stream down her face. "Please…don't do this…"

Richard broke the kiss at the sound of Kahlan's voice, turning his head to find her standing several feet away from them. He was panting heavily with lust, his body on fire with desire for this woman on top of him, but it all vanished in a blinding flash as he saw the shattered look on Kahlan's face, the tears trailing down her face.

Richard felt as if someone had physically reached inside of his chest and just ripped his heart out at the site of the woman he loved standing there so broken by what he was doing, the pain burning in her blue eyes. He suddenly wanted to die for putting that look on her face.

He quickly sat up shoving Eyeria off of him before racing towards Kahlan. He swiftly pulled her into his arms, holding her firmly against him as she cried, tears rising in his own eyes over what he had nearly done.

What had happened here to have caused him to act this way? It wasn't like him to be so easily seduced by a stranger, to allow desire to take over his mind like this. He had almost betrayed his Kahlan in the worst way.

"Kahlan…" he gasped in horror. "I…I'm so sorry."

She clung to him as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her tears trickling down his bare chest. "Please…can we just leave this place?" she softly begged him.

"As soon as we find the Stone of Tears," he murmured into her hair, heartbroken over the pain that he had so blindly caused her.

"Richard…please," Eyeria sadly looked at him. "I just want to be with you. I want to make you feel good."

Richard turned towards her, glaring darkly at her as he released his hold on Kahlan. "I don't know what is going on in this place, but I only want the Stone of Tears and then to leave…nothing more," he angrily stated as he approached her bed to grab his things.

"But, Richard…" Eyeria cried, tears filling her eyes. "I was created to bring pleasure. That's what I want to do for you."

"I don't want your pleasure," Richard bit out, his rage simmering just beneath the surface. "My heart already belongs to someone else."

"I'm not talking about your heart," Eyeria replied as she stood to her feet and fixed her dress. "I'm talking about physical pleasure and release."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not like that," he told her as he slipped his vest back on. "I don't just give myself to any woman and especially not when I'm in love with someone else."

"I…I don't understand why you are acting this way," Eyeria shook her head. "Don't you like me? Want me?"

"No, Eyeria," he replied with growing exasperation, trying to get out of this without divulging the fact that it was Kahlan that he loved and longed to be with more than anything. "Not in the way that you want me to."

"But I sensed such a great deal of intense desire inside of you and…" she began.

"But it's not for you," he shook his head. "I already belong to another."

Kahlan felt her heart hammering wildly with his words, wishing that the woman he belonged to was her, but relieved nonetheless that he had come to his senses before it was too late. She knew now beyond a doubt that she would have to leave him when this was all over. She just couldn't bear to be around him knowing he was with another.

The pain it brought was so agonizing she could hardly breathe.

"Kahlan!" Eliam cried her name with relief as he entered the tent. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you."

"Eliam, I told you no," Kahlan frowned.

Eliam grabbed hold of Kahlan's hand, leaning in and kissing her ear again. "Please, Kahlan," he whispered. "Just please give me a chance. I can bring you such amazing pleasure."

Before Kahlan had a chance to respond, the familiar ring of the sword's release suddenly filled the air. She turned to find Richard coming towards her with his sword drawn and an enraged expression on his face that nearly made her heart stop beating altogether.

"Let go of her," he sneered, grabbing hold of Kahlan and pulling her to him and away from the man trying to seduce her.

"Kahlan?" Eliam gave her a questioning look, sorrow swimming in his blue eyes.

"This ends here and now," Richard hissed with deadly intent. "You tell me where the Stone of Tears is right now or I will not hesitate to burn your village down to the ground."

Eliam's eyes widened in shock, a gasp from Eyeria behind him filling the air. "Please, you don't know what you're saying," the blond-haired man said. "We live in absolute peace and harmony here. We only wish to share that joy and pleasure with the two of you."

"We aren't here for that," Richard spat out as he took Kahlan's hand firmly in his, his sword still pointed directly at Eliam. "We only want the Stone of Tears and then to leave. Now, take us to it."

Eliam sighed heavily, his eyes mirroring the sorrow that had filled his heart. "I'm sorry you feel that way," he softly said. "I only wanted to make you happy, Kahlan."

"I am happy," she insisted.

"No, you're not," he shook his head. "I told you I felt great sorrow and pain in her your heart from the moment you first arrived here. I just want to take it away for you, to replace it with wondrous ecstasy and joy."

Richard glanced at Kahlan out of the corner of his eye, stunned to hear that his Confessor was carrying such deep heartache. Was there more going on inside of her besides her memory loss that she wasn't telling him?

"I appreciate your desire to help me, but we just need the Stone so we can return to our friends and go home," she told him. "That's all we really want."

Eliam drew a deep breath, nodding his head slowly in acknowledgement. "Come, Eyeria and I will show you where you can find your stone," he finally said, turning to leave the tent, Eyeria quickly following her brother.

Kahlan began to follow Eliam only to be brought to a sudden stop by Richard's hand on her arm. She turned back to find her Seeker staring intently at her, his eyes filled with such conflicted emotion it caused her breath to catch in her throat.

"I'm sorry, Kahlan," he softly said, his voice suddenly cracking with emotion. "I never would've…"

"It's alright, Richard," she forced a smile that never reached her eyes. "You were under the influence of magic…we both were."

Richard sighed heavily as Kahlan quickly turned to leave, his heart weighed down with such guilt it made his chest constrict. If his Confessor hadn't come when she had, he would've made love with Eyeria and wouldn't have even cared about what it would've done to Kahlan.

He angrily sheathed his sword as he exited Eyeria's tent, determined to get the stone and get out of here as soon as possible so he could fix things with Kahlan. Though she knew he had been influenced magic, he could still see the pain lingering in her eyes and he was more resolved than ever to win her heart again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Richard followed a little ways behind Kahlan, Eliam, and Eyeria, keeping his distance as guilt twisted his insides so tightly that he could barely put one foot in front of the other. He raked his fingers back through his hair, his mind fighting to sort through all that had happened since coming here.

How could he have so quickly lost control like that, kissing and almost making love to another woman? If Kahlan hadn't come when she had, he would have given himself to Eyeria without even a second thought, giving in to desire for a woman that he didn't even have feelings for.

Eyeria was quite beautiful, but she couldn't hold a candle to Kahlan. No one could. No amount of beauty, strength, or grace could ever come close to what he saw in Kahlan.

Richard knew that Kahlan understood that magic was at play here, but at the same time he knew that he had hurt her deeply, the heartache lingering in her eyes telling him that every time he looked at her. He angrily kicked a stone out of his way, furious with how close that she had been to telling him what she felt only to have this happen now, driving another wedge between them.

He knew that she had been holding something back, something that she had been struggling to say and come to terms with since leaving the People's Palace. She had been just about to open up to him and finally talk to him only take Eyeria show up. Everything had just fallen apart after that.

He wasn't about to allow anyone or anything to take Kahlan away from him again. He finally had her back with him after coming so close to losing her. Now, he was going to have to work even harder at winning her heart back now.

He wouldn't blame her if she hated him, never wanted to see him ever again. The thought nearly buckled his knees. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she left and he never saw her ever again.

His heart began to race wildly with the thought, threatening to steal his sanity. Being forced to live without Kahlan was not a life that he ever wanted, a future he wanted no part of. It was no life at all, one that he definitely did not want to live.

He honestly didn't think he'd ever felt worse in his entire life.

Richard was determined to tell Kahlan that it was her that he loved more than life itself, that it was she that he wanted to marry and spend the rest of his life with. He couldn't take this any longer, not telling her the truth about their relationship with one another, that they were not only friends but lovers.

At the same time, could he risk Kahlan not getting her memories back? What if telling her his feelings for her instead of allowing her to learn on her own somehow caused her memory loss to become permanent?

He softly cursed under his breath, furious with himself as well as the situation they now found themselves in. He wished Zedd was here to help her. He knew he couldn't take the risk of telling her especially when magic was involved. Spirits only knew what other spells Demos may have cast on her, some twisted outcome that Richard hadn't predicted that would only lead to further problems.

Watching her now, he knew that he loved her too much to take such a dangerous risk. He couldn't sacrifice her happiness or her memories because of him and his own selfish desires. She meant more to him than anything in this world. He would have to find another way of helping her remember their love for one another.

Kahlan couldn't keep her mind off what had happened, images of Eyeria lying on top of Richard kissing him had been burned into her memory. She wished more than anything that it had been her with Richard in that bed, making love with him, feeling the sensual stroke of his hands against her skin as he kissed her with such uncontrollable passion, but it wasn't meant to be.

He loved another and she was a Confessor.

She felt warm arousal course through her, settling low in her pelvis as she imagined how amazing it would be to be with her Seeker in that way. She longed for him like nothing she'd ever known, a need that burned so hotly within her core she swore she wouldn't survive another moment without knowing his touch or his taste.

She forced herself to take slow deep breaths to calm her racing heart, the shiver that raced up her spine. Now was the not the time or the place to lose herself to sensual thoughts and feelings. They had a stone to find and a mission to complete.

Besides, Richard didn't want her. He had someone else that he loved, someone else that his heart belonged to. It caused an overwhelming surge of grief to wash through her. As soon as this was over, she would go home wherever that was, throw herself into her work and force herself to forget about her handsome Seeker.

Maybe it would be better if she didn't regain her memories, didn't remember all the moments she had spent with Richard. Forgetting him would be hard enough as it was without having more memories of him to try to banish to the farthest recesses of her mind.

Kahlan kept her focus on the beautiful landscape and not on the two people walking ahead of her or her Seeker following behind her. She tried to push aside her emotions fraught with so much sorrow and focus on her duties.

Richard needed her now as his Confessor to help him complete his mission, to stop the Keeper and that's exactly what she would do. She wouldn't let him down because of her foolish desires, the intense longing of her heart.

Swallowing hard past the thick knot in her throat, she steeled herself against the fierce storm roiling within her. Her head ached as fatigue tugged relentlessly at her body. The sooner they left this place, the better. She just wanted to forget all about Canecia.

"How much farther?" Kahlan finally asked, forcing Eliam to look back over his shoulder at her.

"It's not far," Eliam solemnly said, his face stoic but his sky blue eyes revealing the extent of his bitter disappointment that he hadn't been able to make her happy like he had wanted to.

Kahlan released a weary sigh, knowing that she had hurt Eliam, but it couldn't be helped. These people were guided and influenced by magic and passion. Who could possibly live in this false sense of euphoria that constantly permeated Canecia, never feeling anything but artificial ecstasy and joy?

She absentmindedly pulled a lock of raven hair behind her ear, wanting to get this over with. She just hoped that it didn't take too long to get it. Even though she didn't have all of her memories, from what she'd experienced so far with Richard, she already knew that nothing was ever easy for them.

She cast a brief glance back over her shoulder at her Seeker. The scowl on his face and the way he was focused at the ground made her heart sink as she quickly turned her attention back ahead of her.

Was he angry with her for interfering when he had been with Eyeria?

He had seemed genuinely upset by what had been about to happen when she had raced in and stopped him. Maybe he had changed his mind, had wished that Kahlan hadn't interrupted them and truly wanted to be Eyeria. She was a very beautiful woman.

Kahlan rubbed her forehead. She was so confused, didn't know what to think anymore.

"Kahlan," Richard called her name, forcing her from her beleaguered thoughts.

She reluctantly slowed her paced, pausing to allow him to catch up to her despite feeling rather awkward around him now. "What is it?"

"We need to talk," he tentatively said, his intense frustration evident in his chestnut brown eyes.

"Now?" she asked, surprised by the intensity that seemed to encompass him.

"I can't take this any longer, Kahlan," he heatedly replied, his hand moving to grasp hold of her upper arm. "It's driving me crazy. I have to talk to you now. There are things that you don't know."

"Richard, what's wrong?" Kahlan shook her head in confusion, suddenly growing worried.

"Richard…Kahlan…over here!"

They both turned to find Eyeria and Eliam standing several feet away watching them. Just past them was a large stone structure sheltered beneath some large trees that looked like some sort of temple. They were here. After all those months of searching, they had finally found the Stone of Tears.

"Richard?" Kahlan said, placing her hand on his face and drawing his attention back to her. She watched as he momentarily melted into the palm of her hand on his cheek, seeming to relish the feel.

He drew a ragged breath that spoke of his anger and frustration as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "Later," he murmured with a frown, his jaw clenching tight. "We'll have to talk later. Let's get the Stone and get out of this place."

Kahlan slowly nodded her head, the feel of his hand gently squeezing her arm as if silently trying to tell her something that words couldn't in that moment. His hand lingered a heartbeat longer, affectionately rubbing her arm before finally turning away from her.

Following him, she couldn't help but feel that something much bigger was going on that he hadn't been telling her. It made her stomach drop with apprehension. She didn't think she could take any more right now.

Reaching the small stone structure, Eyeria and Eliam paused before entering, bowing their heads reverently before passing through the narrow entrance. The single room was dimly lit with torches lining the wall, flickering and creating a somber reverent atmosphere.

Sitting in the middle all alone on a tall pedestal was a beautiful light blue jewel, capturing the torch light and reflecting such radiance it was breathtaking to behold. Drawing closer, it began to radiate a soft warm glow the enveloped them as if bidding them consent to approach and touch it.

Kahlan came to stand next to Richard as they gazed at it, suddenly forgetting how to breathe. He finally broke the trance the stone held them in to glance at his beautiful Confessor. They had survived so much over the last year to finally be standing here, to at last be this close to the object of their desperate search.

It caused his throat to constrict painfully with the emotions suddenly flooding his soul. He loved this woman more than he ever imagined was possible to feel for another and yet he knew it, felt to the core of his being. Every single part of him was in love with every single part of her and it couldn't be any more perfect.

His quest was almost over, his mission to stop the Keeper coming to an end and he would be the victor. He would heal the damage that he had unintentionally created, mending what had been broken.

Breaking the intense gaze he held with Kahlan, Richard slowly reached out his hand, his fingers gently wrapping around the large stone. His throat suddenly felt dry, his heart pounding relentlessly as he picked it up and held it in the palm of his hand.

"We did it, Kahlan," he whispered in awe as he stared at it, holding it up to the light.

"You did it, Richard," she softly replied with his special smile. "It was all you."

Richard turned to look at her again, the love he saw radiating in her eyes stealing his breath. "No," he softly smiled. "We did it, Kahlan. I know you don't remember, but I never could've made it this far without you. You're my strength, my courage, my reason for living."

Kahlan didn't know what to say as his words slowly sank in. Everything inside of her burned to kiss him, pleaded with her to pull him close and never let him go. She knew, though, that it was probably just the relief of finally finding the stone that had made him say those things to her, being in Canecia and the magic that infused it.

"Let's go and finish this," she encouraged him, her hand coming to rest over his that held the stone.

Richard slowly nodded his head, the feel her hand moving to cover his feeling so very right in more ways than one. They had started this so long ago together and they would finish this now together. And once this was all over, he intended to keep them together forever.

Eyeria and Eliam watched them from behind, amazed by what they saw. "It's true," Eliam whispered in stunned amazement as a smile slowly spread across his face. "They truly are destined for one another…the Seeker of Truth and Mother Confessor."

"I tried to tell you," Eyeria frowned. "I just wish that it wasn't true. I would've loved for Richard to stay here with me."

"You know the prophecies, Eyeria," he gently scolded her though he knew how she felt. He wouldn't mind having Kahlan stay here with him as well.

"I know, but he's so very handsome and noble," she wistfully replied, her teeth slowly raking over her bottom lip with growing arousal again as she watched him with his Confessor.

"Do you think we should tell them about the new prophecy that appeared about them right before they arrived?" Eliam asked her.

"I don't know," she thoughtfully said, her face growing serious. "What do you think we should do? If we don't tell them, they could lose everything, but if do tell them…"

"It could also change everything," he finished for her with a nod of his head.

"It can't affect Canecia, though," she pointed out. "We are untouched by anything that happens in the outside world."

"Eyeria," Eliam scowled at her. "How could you be so selfish?"

"I'm just saying it's not really our fault what happens out there," she attempted to amend. "We can't affect what happens in the world. Canecia isn't controlled by time or events. We just simply…are."

Eliam drew a deep breath as he thought over what his sister had said. He knew what she was saying was true, but at the same time, how could they keep such prophecy like this to themselves? It could prove to be invaluable to the Seeker and Mother Confessor.

On the other hand, telling them could inadvertently affect the outcome in a way that could cause irrevocable damage to the world of the living.

"Now that you have the stone would you like to see where our prophecy is contained?" Eliam ventured, testing the waters to see which direction they should take.

"No, we need to leave immediately," Richard shook his head. "We have to stop the Keeper."

"Remember, time doesn't exist here," Eyeria reminded him, disheartened. "You will reenter D'Hara at the exact moment that you left it."

"I know, but we have friends out there that we need to get back to," Richard firmly stated. "We cannot stay here any longer. We have a quest to finish and I intend to finish tomorrow. Besides, I don't believe in prophecy."

XXX

Demos Rahl paced back and forth, his hands clasped tightly behind his back as he waited before the pyre before him. The flames danced higher and higher, blazing brightly as his twin brother Darken suddenly appeared in them turning the flames an eerie emerald green.

"What is taking so long?" Demos hissed in furious greeting.

"So nice to see you too, brother," Darken instantly frowned.

"You better have some news for me," Demos demanded as he came to stand before the pyre, his hands still clasped behind his back. "I want Kahlan Amnell and our brother."

"Patience was never much of a Rahl trait, was it?" Darken's dark gaze narrowed as he stared at his twin. "We want what we want and we always want it right now."

"Stop stalling and tell me where my Confessor is!" Demos barked. "You promised me that I would have her and I want her…now. I have many plans for her."

"I don't believe you're in much of a position to be so demanding, Demos," Darken ground out. "If we are going to work together towards a common end, you need to be a little more trusting and a lot more patient."

Demos glowered at the apparition before him. "I have been more than patient, Darken. I have D'Haran soldiers and Mord'Sith out scouring the mountains for them as well as your precious Askar and still I do not have what I want. Perhaps Askar isn't as capable as you thought."

"Don't question me or the Keeper ever again," Darken spat out like fiery venom. "You don't want to be on the wrong side when the Keeper begins his reign on the world of the living."

"I'm on my own side," Demos shot back. "Now, do you have any news or not. If not, I'm terminating this partnership here and now."

"Oh, I have news for you, brother, but I believe you should reconsider terminating our partnership."

"And why is that?" Demos asked, arching a black eyebrow.

"Richard and Kahlan have disappeared," Darken informed him, studying him closely for his reaction.

"What do you mean?" Demos angrily snorted. "They couldn't have just disappeared."

"According to the Keeper, they are no longer in the realm of the living," he explained. "They have gone into some sort of pocket of existence where time does not exist."

"That makes no sense," Demos muttered as he resumed his pacing, thinking through what he had just been told. "How could they have left the realm of life to enter a completely different one where time doesn't exist?"

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Darken stroked his goatee. "It means that they may have found the Stone of Tears which also means we're running out of time to stop them."

"Like I told you before, the Keeper's problems are not my own. I have my own agenda which he is not a part of."

"I'll tell him you said that," Darken frowned, running the tip of his tongue along the back of his teeth. "He'll be most displeased with your lack of loyalty to him. When he controls the world of the living, I guarantee that you will not survive it."

"I'll take my chances," Demos shot back, unfazed by the threat. "Now, how do we find Richard and Kahlan?"

"Easy," he shrugged his shoulders. "They will eventually have to come back to the world of the living in order to take the Stone of Tears to the Pillars of Creation. If Richard doesn't do that by tomorrow night, the tear in the veil of the Underworld will become permanent. I'm afraid his time has finally run out."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Nearing the tangled mass of vines that had bidden them entrance to Canecia and would now take them away, Richard and Kahlan paused to say their final goodbyes to Eliam and Eyeria. It had been a most unusual experience being here, but it had resulted in finding the Stone of Tears so the encounter with this secret magical realm had been worth it despite the new heartache it had caused.

Richard just hoped that he'd be able to repair the damage he had caused to his already fragile relationship with Kahlan. He felt like he'd been walking on shaky ground with her since discovering she had no memory of him. Now, it felt like that very ground was rapidly giving way beneath him, threatening to drag him into an inky abyss of loneliness and loss.

He turned with a heavy sigh to face the woman that he'd almost had sex with, feelings of awkwardness rising and mingling with the ever-present feelings of arousal and euphoria that still lingered inside of him that came with being in this place.

It was making it more than difficult to keep his hands off Kahlan when all he wanted to do was to pull down to the ground beneath him and ravage her right here in the grass, her amnesia be damned. He would be so happy to be out of this place where it would be easier to control his desire for his Confessor.

"Thank you for helping us find the Stone of Tears," Richard tentatively said.

"Are you sure you won't stay?" Eyeria almost begged, stepping closer to Richard and placing the palms of her hands on his chest.

Looking down into her toffee brown eyes, he could feel his resolve beginning to subtly waver again, but he refused to give in to temptation just to relieve the harden frustration growing in his pants. He didn't even want this woman; he wanted Kahlan.

He gently took hold of her wrists, pulling her hands off of him. "I'm sorry, Eyeria, but we have to leave," he firmly said. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we have to stop the Keeper."

"Kahlan, please won't you reconsider?" Eliam tried to appeal to her, taking a step closer to her despite the Seeker's raptor gaze practically burning through him.

"No," Richard heatedly stated before she could respond, stepping back and taking Kahlan's hand in his.

Eliam sighed heavily. "You should know there's a prophecy that appeared concerning the two of you just before you arrived here."

"I don't believe in prophecy," the Seeker bit out.

"Richard, maybe we should hear it," Kahlan softly said. "It could be important. It might help us stop the Keeper."

"Fine," he ground out. "What is it?"

"Fuer grissa ost drauka will follow his heart's deepest desire, but doing so will only cause him great pain, forever losing his heart's desire to a path already travelled," Eliam quoted from memory.

Kahlan frowned in confusion, looking to Richard for answers only to find his face had gone white as a ghost. "Richard, what is it?" she asked, concern growing as she grasped his arm. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," he murmured with a nod of his head, his heart nearly stopping with what he heard. He needed to find Zedd right away. "Come, let's go."

Turning, Kahlan followed Richard through the tangled vine curtain that would lead them back to D'Hara and the frenzied chaos that awaited them. She wished she knew what the prophecy meant. Whatever it was, it had definitely rattled her Seeker.

Richard fought to contain the cold fear that had lanced through him with Eliam's words, reminding himself once again that he didn't believe in prophecy and yet he couldn't help the sense of dread that had gripped him.

Man made his own destiny, dictated his life by the choices he made not by the whimsical ramblings of gifted people who thought they could see the future.

Kahlan followed behind him for a long moment before finally speaking again, her mind churning over what Eliam had told them. "Richard, what did that prophecy mean?" she asked. "And don't tell me nothing because I saw the fear in your face when Eliam told it to us. I may not have all my memories but I'm far from stupid."

Richard bit back a sudden small smile at her feistiness, something her amnesia had not been able to deter. She was right. He had let his emotions slip through for her to see and now he was going to have figure out a way of telling her the truth.

"I'm afraid fuer grissa ost drauka refers to me. It means 'bringer of death'."

"Alright," she slowly nodded her head. "So the prophecy pertains to you. What about the other part of it?"

"I…I'm not really sure," he lied, averting his eyes to the cloudy sky peeking through above, the rain that was falling a little harder now. "That's why I need to talk to Zedd about it. He knows more about prophecy than I do, understands how to interpret it."

"Maybe I can help you figure it out," she replied. "What is your heart's deepest desire?"

Richard cast a sidelong glance at his determined Confessor, doing his best to keep from saying too much. He wanted to tell her his deepest desire was her…it had always been her. He'd almost told her everything in Canecia, but now that he was out from under that magic that influenced his emotions, he knew he needed to wait until Zedd had had a chance to look at her first.

"To save the world from the Keeper," he softly replied, the words nearly sticking in his throat.

He hated lying to her like this, but he was trapped. He could confess everything to her now, allowing her to finally know the truth, but it could possibly cause her memory loss to be permanent if Demos had cast any other spells on her.

He hated magic, but he hated prophecy even more.

Kahlan's heart sank with his words. "Oh…I see," she whispered.

She didn't know why she thought his answer would be any different or that his deepest heart's desire would be her. Still, hearing him say it out loud, though, seemed to make it hurt more than she had expected.

"Kahlan…" he began, pausing to draw a deep breath.

"So the prophecy must concern your mission in some way," she surmised, interrupting him. "Now that we have the stone, how do we stop the Keeper?"

"We need to take it to the Pillars of Creation before tomorrow night," he replied, his thoughts still consumed with what he had heard from Eliam. He knew the prophecy involved Kahlan. He just didn't know how.

She placed her hand on his arm, bringing him to a sudden stop. "Richard, we won't fail," she reassured him. "I'll do everything I can to make sure we get there in time. You're not alone in this."

Gazing into her sapphire eyes, he quickly found himself drowning in her beauty and the love he felt for her that swelled inside of him. His hand came to rest on the nape of her neck, his thumb gently caressing her jaw.

The war inside of him was growing stronger by the moment. He knew the sooner he got the stone to the Pillars of Creation, the sooner this would all be over and he could finally tell her everything, ask her to marry him if she'd still have him.

"There is so much I need to tell you, Kahlan," he softly admitted with a heavy heart. "I wish I could explain everything to you, but I can't right now. I don't want to do or say the wrong thing and make your memory loss permanent in some unforeseen way."

"I don't understand," she shook her head in confusion, her forehead creasing. "How could that possibly happen?"

"Magic works in very strange ways sometimes, has unexpected consequences and outcomes," he tried to explain. "I want to find Zedd first, make sure that you're alright before I tell you something that could cause your amnesia to be permanent."

"Richard, I'm fine," she said, pursing her lips in frustration. "You worry far too much."

Just then the sound of growling erupted in the distance, making the hair stand up on the back of Richard's neck. "Come on," he told her. "We need to find some horses right away and get to the Pillars before tomorrow night."

"And before those creatures find us again," Kahlan shivered as the howling steadily grew louder.

Richard took off running, an overwhelming sense of foreboding washing through him suddenly making his legs feel as though they were full of lead. It felt as though those creatures from the Underworld were watching their every move, could feel the hot fire of their breath against his neck and yet he couldn't see them at all.

They needed to keep heading south towards the Pillars of Creation, needed to find a couple of horses to get them there as quickly as possible. At the same time, he didn't want to risk luring those creatures into an unsuspecting town.

He was going to have to find a way of keeping ahead of their predators, but he had a feeling that was swiftly going to become a losing battle. Time was rapidly running out and the closer they to the Pillars of Creation, the harder and faster those creatures were going to come after them in order to stop them.

He looked back over his shoulder to find Kahlan keeping up with him. The look of worry on her face told him she shared his rising sense of trepidation. He could barely wait for this nightmare to be over with and he could just marry her, settle down and raise a family together.

That was the deepest desire of his heart. Yes, he wanted to make sure the world was safe from the Keeper, but even more than that he wanted a forever spent with the woman he loved above all else.

He wanted a houseful of daughters with blue eyes and raven hair, to wake to Kahlan's beautiful smile every day and lose himself in her heated passions every night. He just wanted to live in peace, knowing that Kahlan was finally safe, but he knew that would never happen as long as Demos was still alive.

He knew deep down that he was eventually going to have to face him, eliminating his vile brother once and for all.

"Richard!" Kahlan called out to him, pulling him from his thoughts. "Over there!"

The Seeker turned to see Kahlan pointing somewhere off to the right. He slowed down, suddenly noticing movement among the thick blanket of foliage that enveloped them. His gaze narrowed, finally spotting horses in the distance.

"Come on," he breathed heavily.

The sound of snapping branches and rustling leaves was growing louder, the howling ringing in their ears. The creatures from the Keeper would be upon them in a matter of minutes if they didn't do something quick.

Racing towards the horses, Richard spotted D'Haran soldiers roaming through the woods no doubt searching for them. He slowed down as they drew near, crouching low to the ground to conceal their presence.

Pausing near a large tree, Richard watched as four D'Haran soldiers wandered several yards away, their horses unattended. He watched for several long minutes as they moved further away, their attention captured by the deafening howls of the wolf creatures closing in on them.

Richard silently reached around, gently grabbing the reins of one of the horses and passing them off to Kahlan before inching closer to climb onto the back of the other. Just as Kahlan pulled herself up into the saddle, one of the soldiers turned around.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Over there!"

The other D'Harans swiftly responded as well, immediately running towards them as they drew their sword, one of them dropping to his knee and drawing an arrow aimed straight at Kahlan's head.

"Kahlan!" Richard screamed her name, drawing his sword as he urged his hose towards the soldiers prepared for attack.

He watched with his heart in his throat as Kahlan ducked at the very last moment, the arrow narrowly missing her head and imbedding in a nearby tree trunk. The soldier didn't hesitate in drawing another, a second arrow hitting its mark this time in the Mother Confessor's thigh causing her to cry out in pain.

Richard growled furiously as he barreled down on the soldiers, his sword slicing through the air and cutting them down one by one in a fierce flash of uncontrollable rage. He quickly turned his horse around and raced back towards Kahlan who was pulling the bolt from her thigh.

"Kahlan," he gasped as blood began seeping through her clothes.

"It's alright," she insisted with a shake of her head. "Let's get out of here…now!"

He quickly followed her as she took off through the trees, breaking through the lush foliage as the sounds of their predators drew ever closer.

XXX

"Look!" Zedd said, pointing up at the sky. "The tracer cloud is moving again."

Cara released a huff of relief mixed with simmering aggravation. Once she finally found Richard and Kahlan, they were never going to be allowed to go anywhere on their own without her ever again.

"It seems to moving faster than before," Tolla frowned as he studied the tracer cloud that stood out darker than the rest of the storm clouds that had gathered.

"I agree," the old Wizard muttered in thought. "They must have found a couple of horses."

"They're heading south again," Cara pointed out.

"They're heading for the Pillars of Creation," Zedd realized, a broad smile slowly spreading across his wrinkled face. "They must have found the Stone of Tears."

"Do you really think they could've gotten that lucky?" Cara asked, her hands finding her hips. "Zedd, nothing has ever been that easy for us."

"Something has changed, something that has them heading towards the Pillars of Creation," he reminded her. "They wouldn't be heading there if Richard didn't have what he needed to stop the Keeper."

"So we need to head there," Tolla replied.

"This is turning into a senseless chase that is pointless," Hadi hissed, interrupting the three.

"We go," Tolla adamantly snapped as he turned his attention on his warrior.

"This does not concern us," Hadi ground out, his chest beginning to rise and fall more quickly with his growing anger. "We did not create this problem. We do not have to be a part of fixing it. Let the Seeker fix his own mess."

"They are our friends now," Tolla sneered as he began walking towards him, causing Hadi to begin backing up until he was brought to a stop by the feel of rough bark of a tree against his back. "They need our help and we will help them."

"The Seeker and Confessor are not Aku," Hadi yelled at him, suddenly pointing his spear at Zedd and Cara. "And neither are they. We should return to our village and forget about what's going on here."

"We can't keep burying our heads in the sand if our village is meant to survive, Hadi," Tolla replied with growing anger. "Can't you see that if we don't do whatever it takes to help them, we will have no future to look forward to?"

"We can still survive," Hadi shot back, his face suddenly in the Tolla's and not about to back down any time soon. "The Aku have survived for more seasons than anyone can remember. We will survive on our own."

Tolla stared at him in stunned fury. "You will never be a great Aku warrior or the Tolla one day if you don't let go of your hatred and anger and move on, embrace the new ways of the Aku."

"We don't have time for this," Cara huffed, reaching for her agiels only to be stopped from interfering by Zedd's insistent hand on her arm.

She turned and scowled at him. He shook his head no, silently telling her to stay out of it. This was a fight that Nakunam needed to handle on his own.

"I demand a butala," Hadi spat out.

Temin gasped from behind Hadi who was still backed up against a tree. "Hadi, you're crazy!"

"What is a butala?" Cara frowned.

Tolla glared furiously at Hadi, his eyes never leaving the defiant warrior. "This is not the time or the place for this, Hadi. If you demand a butala then we can perform the ritual when we return to the village, but now."

"I demand a butala…now!" Hadi hissed. "A fight to the death for the honor of Tolla."

Nakunam's fury nearly exploded, his spear flipping up into his other hand as he used it to further press it across Hadi's chest and pinning him against the tree. He leaned in close, his eyes flashing in deadly warning.

"Denied."

The single word carried such venom it almost burned like acid as they glared at each other. "You are a traitor to the Aku ways," Hadi bit out. "You don't deserve to be called Tolla."

"Hadi, enough of this," Temin suddenly said, trying to diffuse the situation before Hadi got himself killed. "You are out of line. It is you who is a disgrace to our tribe."

"I should've known you would take Tolla's side," Hadi coldly stated, turning eyes glazed with hatred at his childhood friend. "You are weak just like him."

"Enough of this!" Tolla nearly roared. "We leave for these Pillars now."

Tolla stared at him for a hard long moment before releasing his hold on Hadi, turning his back to him as an Aku sign of disrespect. It was like a slap in the face to Hadi, a sign that he was not worthy to be an Aku warrior.

Hadi screamed in rage, his eyes suddenly wild as he began to charge at Tolla Nakunam, his spear raised with deadly intent to finish this his way.

Before anyone could react, Temin threw his knife, imbedding it deep in his friend's back. Hadi instantly dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with shock, his mouth falling open to say something but no words would come out as he took his last shuddering breath.

Everyone looked at Temin in surprise, stunned that he had just killed his best friend. Tears filled Temin's eyes as he stared at his friend's lifeless body on the ground before him.

Swallowing hard, he walked over to him, kneeling down and removing his knife. He solemnly made his way to Tolla Nakunam, his bloody knife lying across his palms in surrender for his actions as he bowed his head. "I'm sorry," Temin humbly said. "I had to. He was going to kill you."

Tolla looked down at the bloody knife before taking it in his hand. He knelt down and carefully wiped the blood off the blade before placing the hilt of the knife into the palm of Temin's hand.

Tolla wrapped his hand firmly around Temin's hand holding the knife. "You saved my life and for that I will be eternally grateful, Temin," he firmly stated. "You showed great bravery and courage today. You will make an excellent Tolla one day."

A sad smile broke across the Aku warrior's face as he slowly nodded his head, relieved and yet deeply saddened by the loss of a friend. "Hadi hasn't been the same over the last couple of seasons, his temper and bitterness consuming him."

"I know," Tolla agreed. "I've tried helping him, but the more I tried, the more he ended up hating me. I've feared for some time that this would happen."

"Let us bury him and be on our way then," Temin said. "Seeker Richard needs our help."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Kahlan urged her horse on, keeping up with her Seeker despite the fatigue that ravaged her body threatening to drop her from her stead. Her thigh throbbed mercilessly but the bleeding had finally stopped.

Unfortunately, their predators hadn't slowed down in the least, unrelenting in their harried pursuit of them. Their howling shrieks created constant waves of gooseflesh to ripple over her arms, knowing they weren't going to give up until they had finally hunted them down and got what they wanted – them.

"That way!" Richard suddenly shouted to her, pointing to his left and immediately directing his horse in the direction he had indicated.

She obediently followed without question, trusting him to get them to the Pillars of Creation safely. She ducked beneath a low lying branch, melding her body with her horse as she leaned into the animal's withers. She grew concerned about pushing their horses so hard for so long, fearing they would collapse soon from exhaustion. The constant rainstorms that had followed them were making this journey even more miserable than it already was.

They'd been riding for hours and night was rapidly approaching as rain continued to fall. They couldn't risk the horses' safety or their own with the rocky forest terrain that seemed to stretch on forever.

Richard swiftly led them into a creek, forcing his horse to ride up stream for a while before finally crossing over onto the other side. He hoped that would help cover their tracks, delaying a showdown with the creatures from the Underworld.

He knew it was coming sooner or later and he hoped desperately for later especially with Kahlan now injured. He needed to lose those wolves soon so they could rest their horses and check on Kahlan's leg. He was worried about her losing blood or the wound becoming infected, but unfortunately, there was little he could do about it at the moment with those beasts bearing down on them.

Night was fast approaching and with it the thick blanket of darkness that would help conceal them from sight. It would help aid them in their escape, but it would make it that much more dangerous for them and their horses to navigate the treacherous landscape.

A part of him wanted to just stop and fight them, ending this chase once and for all, but he didn't know if Kahlan would be able to handle a fight right now. He had no idea the extent of her injury or if she was able to even stand on her leg. He couldn't subject her to a battle with creatures from the Underworld when even he wasn't certain what they were potentially up against.

They'd fought banelings and screelings over the last year, but nothing like these creatures that the Keeper had unleashed upon them now.

The howling of the beasts swiftly grew silent the further they rode, the pressing sense of foreboding of their dark presence lessening considerably allowing Richard to finally breathe a little easier. They had lost them for a little while.

He doubted losing their tracks in the creek had truly worked that well to have completely thrown them off their scent. These were creatures of the Underworld, no doubt possessing dark occult magic that enabled them to find them anywhere.

Whatever the sudden reason they were losing them he didn't care at that moment. He was just grateful for their brief reprieve.

Spotting an irregular formation in the rocks to his right, Richard made his way towards it, thankful to find a cave opening. He quickly dismounted his horse, drawing his sword as he neared the cave, using the blade to brush aside overgrown plants and branches.

Sheathing his sword, he turned to find Kahlan trying to dismount from her horse, her injured leg giving out on her. He swiftly grabbed hold of her, sweeping her up into his arms before she hit the ground. "I've got you," he murmured, turning his head to suddenly find her lips a breath away from his.

He fought against the immediate overwhelming urge to kiss her, the need inside burning so hot it nearly consumed him. "Let me get a fire started and then I'll take care of your leg."

"Alright," she whispered, his masculine scent causing her breath to hitch.

He felt Kahlan tremble slightly in his arms, mistaking it for being cold and wet from the rain when in reality her desire for him was warming her clear through to her core. "I need to get you out of this cold wet rain."

"I'm sure I can walk," she offered, her arms still wrapped securely around her Seeker's neck, each lost in the other's intense gaze, each other's nearness.

Richard slowly nodded his head, but didn't move to release her just yet. He wanted her in his arms, longed to feel the sweet press of her soft skin against his, the passion of her touch and the heat of her depths welcoming him deep inside of her as he filled her with himself.

Kahlan's heart suddenly raced with the darkening of his chestnut brown eyes, the way his gaze fell to her mouth, his arms refusing to relinquish her from his hold.

"Richard," she whispered his name, desire mingling with building confusion.

He finally, reluctantly set her feet onto the ground. She winced as she attempted to bear weight on her injured leg only to have it suddenly buckle. She quickly grabbed hold of his arm, catching herself before she fell.

"Let me get you settled with a warm fire," he told her, helping lead her into the safe confines of the cave.

Helping her get settled, he quickly got a fire going before heading out to tend to their horses that were also in much need of rest. He knew they had pushed them hard today, but they had been able to cover some good distance.

Thoughts of tomorrow and the notion that soon this would all be over and behind them put a smile on the Seeker's face. As soon as this was over and Zedd had restored Kahlan's memories, he was going to ask her to marry him, make her his forever.

Returning to the cave with some fruit he'd found as well as a rabbit he'd been able to trap, he found Kahlan sitting on her green blanket, her boot removed and revealing her long leg covered in blood. It nearly made his heart stop for more reasons than just one.

"Kahlan, wait," Richard frowned, unhappy with the amount of blood she'd obviously lost. "Let me take a look at it."

Richard quickly deposited supper by the fire before grabbing his pack and settling on the cave floor beside her. Her began pulling supplies out, doing his best to keep his mind focused on the task at hand and not how absolutely desperate he was growing to be with her or the fact that a good majority of her gorgeous leg was exposed.

Grabbing his water skin, he carefully began cleaning the blood from her leg only to find a broken piece of arrow still imbedded in her thigh. "I'm going to have to get the rest of the arrow out before it becomes infected," he told her.

Placing his hand on her thigh, he took hold of the broken end of the bolt, his eyes lifting to meet hers. "Are you ready?"

Kahlan nodded her head, her hand shifting to tightly grip his forearm in preparation of the pain that was about to flood her system. The reassurance and compassion that shone brightly in Richard's eyes gave her strength as he pulled the broken arrow from her leg.

Her head fell back as a sharp cry escaped her lips, unwanted tears stinging her eyes. She could feel a warm wash of fresh blood immediately beginning to spread down her leg. She heard Richard curse under his breath as he swiftly applied pressure to her wound.

There was something about all of this, the way that he had his hand on her thigh that was suddenly strangely familiar to her for some odd reason. Breathing through the pain that pulsed through her leg, Kahlan forced herself to ask him. "We've done this before, haven't we?"

Richard nodded his head, his face filled with worry as he worked to stop the bleeding. "Yes, I'm afraid so," he muttered, the memory not one of his favorite with her. "We were in the woods then too, trying to solve a murder when we were attacked."

"I was hit in the thigh then too…with a bolt," she muttered, suddenly lost in her thoughts as she struggled to remember.

"I had to pull the bolt out of your leg then too," he replied, his frown deepening as he tossed aside another rag that had quickly become soaked through with bright red blood. "You wouldn't let me take care of you, but instead insisted that I go after our attacker."

Kahlan chuckled softly, his frustration evident in his voice. "You don't sound very happy with me for that."

"I wasn't," he confirmed as he continued to apply pressure to her wound, his fingers absentmindedly caressing her thigh and unknowingly heating her blood. "I left you injured and bleeding and alone in the woods with a killer on the loose. Certainly not the smartest thing I've ever done, but you of course wouldn't have it any other way. Stubborn to the very end, always putting everyone and everything before yourself."

"And yet I managed to live to continue torturing you," she smiled her special smile, the flames of the fire making her sapphire eyes dance.

Richard shook his head in amusement, fighting back a smile of his own. "Kahlan, you don't torture me. I always want you with me. It's where you belong."

Kahlan's eyes rose to meet his, the air in the cave suddenly growing hotter than the small fire crackling beside them. A thousand things warred in her mind, battling to be asked, but she knew that he was limited on what he could actually tell her.

Instead, she averted her eyes, her heart heavy with an ache that threatened to steal her breath. "But I'm sure after this is all over with, we probably won't see each other anymore," she softly said, fighting back the sorrow that rose in her chest. "Our quest will be over, life will return to normal…whatever that is for us."

The thought of never seeing Kahlan again was like a fist to his gut, causing his insides to twist with dread. "No, Kahlan," he firmly stated. "That is never going to happen. Just because our mission will be over doesn't mean that we won't still see each other. I promise I won't allow that to happen."

"Richard, you can't promise that." she replied, confused by his sudden anger. "What if the woman you are in love with wants to move away or the man that you say I'm in love with?"

"Kahlan, I swear to you that I will never go someplace where you aren't," he heatedly stated, the hard resolve in his voice sending a shiver through her.

"There's a lot you're not telling me, isn't there?" she murmured as she carefully studied him.

"More than you can imagine," he softly replied.

"Am I…am I married?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"What? No, you're not married," he definitively answered with a shake of his head.

Kahlan relaxed a little until another thought occurred to her, one that suddenly made her ill. "Are you married?"

"No, not yet," he sighed, lost in thoughts of marrying Kahlan and not realizing the words he'd just said.

She tilted her head in confusion, her brow knitting together. "Not yet?"

Richard looked up sharply from her wound, taken aback by her startled response. "No, not yet…but I hope to be soon when this is all over."

"Oh, I see," she quietly said, her eyes falling back to her leg.

"Kahlan, please, you have to trust me," he attempted to reassure her. "I promise that everything will be alright."

Swallowing past the thick knot that had suddenly filled her throat, Kahlan slowly nodded her head as Richard finished cleaning the blood from her leg once he was satisfied that the bleeding had slowed down.

A tense silence had slowly encompassed them as Richard applied herbal salve to the wound. He gently began wrapping her leg, his calloused fingers brushing against her smooth skin and sending tiny shockwaves through her.

Richard's hand brushed against her skirt, pushing it even higher up her thigh and revealing even more of her creamy skin to him. His entire body began to stir in response, his ever-present need becoming so powerful that it was burning him from the inside out.

He lifted his head to find her beautiful face so very close to her, the soft whisper of her breath warm against his skin. Time seemed to vanish as their mouths slowly inched ever closer to one another, each desperately seeking and needing the other more than anything this world could ever begin to offer.

She leaned closer, her lips brushing tentatively against his as if silently begging him to reveal his true heart's desires to her, the many secrets he was withholding from her. A tremble of longing coursed through him, unable to take another moment of not kissing her the way that he needed to, longed to.

Before Kahlan could draw a breath, Richard's hands were buried in her hair, his lips suddenly hungry and demanding as they moved against her own. She quickly responded to him, matching his passion with an unbridled fire of her own.

Her lips parted slightly and it was the only hint he needed to deepen the kiss, his tongue stroking against hers as they battled for control. A low moan rose from her throat and filled his ears, spurring his hunger on. She tasted like the sweetest ambrosia as he continued to greedily drink her in, his heart beating wildly in response to his need.

He swiftly eased her back, shifting his body over hers as his hands began their frenzied exploration of her perfection. His mind was spinning with the pleasure surging through him, the fire of his passion for her that consumed him body and soul.

The feel of her hands stroking over his back, her honeyed lips so demanding against his was driving him wild, propelling his desperate need even higher.

Richard felt himself swiftly hurtling past the point of no return, his self-control rapidly slipping through his fingers as his body began to respond to hers of its own accord, grinding his hips roughly against hers and showing her just how much he wanted her.

He knew they couldn't do this now, not when she didn't even remember him or their love for one another and yet at the same time he knew that she must remember something about him whether consciously or subconsciously. He could tell by the way that she was kissing him, her hands moving over him with a frantic need that he shared with her.

She must feel something for him even without her memories, longed to be with him as well despite everything that had happened. It made his heart sing in unison with hers and yet ache painfully because he needed to stop this now, couldn't allow this to continue to follow its natural course.

Richard suddenly pulled out of the kiss as Kahlan began pulling his shirt free from his breeches. He quickly shifted off of her, turning his back to her and scrubbing his face vigorously with his hands as he fought to catch his breath and quench the fire blazing through him.

Kahlan quickly sat up, panting heavily as well. "Richard…what's wrong?" she asked, confusion mingling with the dark desire that already clouded her eyes.

"We…we can't," he managed to get out as he fought to tamp down on the desire coursing hotly through his veins. "It's not right…this…isn't right."

Kahlan stared at him for a long moment, trying to gather up the pieces of her rapidly breaking heart. She had hoped that if she kissed him, showed him how much she wanted him that he might share those feelings that seemed to burn to the very core of her being.

She didn't understand how she could possibly love another man when she felt such intense feelings for her Seeker. There wasn't anything left of her that he didn't possess that she could possibly give to another man.

The silence was deafening, the tension suffocating. Richard finally turned to look at her, the tears and the heartache that filled her blue eyes nearly shattering his heart as well as his resolve in that tense moment.

He quickly moved closer to her again, his hands finding her face and forcing her to look at him. "I'm so sorry," he softly murmured. "We just…we can't do this. You don't have your memories and I'm not about to take advantage of you like this."

Kahlan swallowed past her rising tears that burned in her throat; nodding her head that she understood when in reality she was crushed. She had opened herself up to him, showed him what she had been feeling since leaving the People's Palace and he had just rejected her.

Richard didn't want her.

"Kahlan…" he began, leaning in to kiss her…comfort her, the pain inside of him that came from hurting her devastating him.

"Don't," Kahlan whispered, swiftly pulling back away from him before his lips could meet hers.

She quickly wiped the tears from her face, averting her eyes in embarrassment. She turned away from him without another word, lying down on her blanket, pulling her pack under her head to use as a pillow as she curled up on her side.

Richard's chin fell to his chest with a sigh of utter defeat, anguish threatening to choke the life out of him. He had just hurt her deeply and he had no idea how he was ever going to be able to fix it or win her back.

He got to his feet, furious with himself for giving into his desire for her only to be forced to shove her away. He clenched his fists as he quickly left the cave, his heart pounding from the fury within him. He wished the very ground beneath his boots would just split open and swallow him up, dragging him down into the depths of the Underworld for what he had just done to her.

He stood in the rain that mercilessly pounded the earth, thunder and lightning cracking and rumbling in the distance as if mirroring the fierce storm residing in the distraught Seeker's heart. His head fell back, a strangled cry of despair tearing from his throat as the rain pelted his face only to have his scream swallowed up by the storm.

Every muscle was taut with the weight of his grief, every fiber of his being straining to run to her and beg for her forgiveness, to make love to her and never stop, telling her and showing her how deep his love for her truly ran.

Breathing hard, Richard hung his head as the rain ran in tiny rivulets down his body. They had finally found the Stone of Tears, would at last defeat the Keeper tomorrow, but at what cost?

He had just lost the only thing that had ever mattered to him.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_Wrapping her legs around his waist, she clung to him as he pushed her back up against a smooth rock wall behind her. She pressed her head back against the rock as he bent down to take her breast into his mouth. She never wanted this to end with him, didn't want to have to face the outside world and their waiting responsibilities. She just wanted to hide away with her Seeker forever._

_Kahlan bit down on her lip as Richard kissed along her neck, his teeth grazing over the skin there. She hissed at the sweet sting he created before he soothed it with his lips and tongue, driving her pleasure higher and higher._

_She quickly leaned in and kissed him hard, desperate to feel him deep inside of her. He quickly responded to her kiss despite himself, his mouth searching out her breast and teasing it mercilessly until she was heavily panting his name._

_Pulling back for air, he pressed his forehead against hers as he fought to control the arousal storming through him at that moment. "I want you, Kahlan..._

"_I want you too, Richard…I want you now," she whispered against his lips, shifting her hips and taking him deep inside of her in one swift motion._

_Richard's head fell back with the sudden overwhelming feeling of being completely joined with her, a sharp gasp being pulled from his lungs. She immediately began to move over him, her lips capturing his, her tongue demanding entrance as her body repeatedly slid against his._

_He gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh. She bit on his bottom lip, nearly pushing him over the edge right there as she forcefully rose up and down over him._

_Without a second thought, he pressed her more firmly against the smooth rock behind her, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he took over. His bit down on her pulse point, eliciting a throaty moan from her that only excited him all the more._

_His desire for her took control of him now as he drove into her with wild abandon, his overwhelming thirst for her to come with him becoming too hard to ignore. She was intoxicating, filling his blood and unleashing an animalistic need deep within him that demanded to be met...could only be met…by her._

"_Kahlan," he murmured against her throat, his breathing ragged as he made passionate love to her._

_She grunted and gasped with each of his forceful thrusts, on the verge of coming undone right there in his arms. The passion that had exploded around them, engulfing them both and threatening to consume them was creating tremors of pleasure to shoot through her as he pushed her to that blissful edge once more._

_Her magic roared to the surface with a force she'd never known before, her eyes swirling to an inky black. She screamed his name as she dug her fingernails into his shoulders, her body responding to him of its own accord now. The feel of her coming undone all around him sent him spiraling headlong into a fierce release that left him trembling as he emptied himself deep inside of her._

_She clung to him, holding onto him for deep life as pleasure continued to tremble through her, lessening as they slowly kissed. "Richard…" _

"_Kahlan…" he panted. "Kahlan…"_

Kahlan awoke with a start at the sound of her name, her breathing irregular from the intense dream she'd just had. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, the warm brush of breath against her ear. It sent a tremor of longing through her as well as immense sorrow.

"Kahlan, the sun will be up soon," Richard softly said. "We need to leave."

She sat up, her heart racing from the dream and yet just as heavy as when she had fallen asleep, reminding her of what she wanted more than anything, but could never have. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair as she fought to gather her emotions, avoiding making any eye contact with her Seeker.

"Kahlan, I…" Richard began with a heavy sigh.

"Do you think we'll be able to make it in time tonight?" she asked as she began gathering up her things, refusing to discuss last night.

Richard's eyes momentarily fell closed with her refusal to talk to him about what had happened between them, frustration and need warring wildly in his heart. "We have no choice," he finally replied. "We have to make it there or the Keeper will win."

"I just hope that we can keep ahead of those creatures," she said. "They feel like they're getting closer all the time."

"I know," he agreed. "I'm hoping to avoid a confrontation with them, but I fear its coming."

"Hopefully, we can lose them before we get to the Pillars," she replied as she shifted to stand to her feet only to be stopped by a firm hand on her arm.

"Kahlan…"

"I'll be happy when this is all over with," she interrupted him, not wanting to hear any needless explanations.

"Kahlan, stop," he firmly said. "I need to check your wound again before we leave."

"Its fine," she coolly stated, bristling beneath his touch. "We should leave before the creatures return."

"Kahlan, stop it," he snapped. "I'm redressing your leg before we leave – end of argument."

She glared at him for a moment before finally relenting. She had to admit that her thigh was throbbing mercilessly. She watched in silence as Richard began to remove the bloody bandages, surprised to find they were soaked clear through.

Her blue eyes lifted to see the sudden worry in her Seeker's face as he examined her thigh, the anger and frustration that permeated his deep brown eyes. His nearness, his gentle touch as he worked made her heart stutter against her will.

"This is worse than I had originally thought," Richard murmured with a deep frown, more to himself than to her.

"How?" she asked, looking down at the ugly wound in her thigh.

"It's still bleeding quite a bit, more than it should by now," he scowled. "And it's already becoming infected.

"How can that be?"

"The arrow must have been tipped with some sort of poison or magic to keep the wound from healing. I need to get you to Zedd right away before it gets worse."

"We can't," Kahlan shook her head, pursing her lips. "We need to get to the Pillars before it's too late. Stopping the Keeper is more important than my leg."

Richard drew a ragged breath, not liking the choices before him – stop the Keeper and save the world or possibly save Kahlan's life. "I don't like this," he ground out. "This is only going to continue to get worse unless I get you help."

"I feel fine, Richard," she pressed, refusing to give in. "We need to leave…now. You said so yourself."

Drawing a deep breath, he reluctantly gathered up the supplies and slipped them into his pack before getting to his feet and offering her his hand. "Fine, but once we reach the Pillars of Creation and this is finally over, my first priority is you and only you, Kahlan."

"Richard…" she began to argue.

"I'm serious, Kahlan," he heatedly stated, his voice edged with fury and leaving no room for further argument. "We are going to talk about everything and I mean everything whether you like it or not."

The intensity in his eyes caused her to instantly tense, the thick tension surrounding them tugging at them and drawing them to together as they stared at one another. "Alright," she softly said, knowing that her mind was already made up.

As soon as the mission was over and the Keeper was defeated, she was going to leave him and never look back.

Exiting the cave, Kahlan could feel the heat of Richard's gaze on her back, knowing that he was struggling to say something more, but nothing more needed to be said. His actions last night had spoken louder and clearer than any words possibly could now.

And he wouldn't have to worry about talking to her to convince her about anything once they got the Stone of Tears to the Pillars because she was going to leave. She had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do. All she knew was that she couldn't bear being around him anymore.

The pain of wanting and not having cut so very deep, her desire for him too intense to ignore. She was too exhausted, too tired of fighting the feelings inside of her. She couldn't handle being around him every day, being forced to watch him with another woman.

Limping to her horse, Kahlan fastened her pack to the saddle, casting a glance at Richard who was untethering his horse. She bit her bottom lip in a futile attempt to deter the tears that stung her eyes. Spirits, she loved him so much, would give her life for him without a second thought.

"So, you really thought that you could escape Lord Demos Rahl after what you did?"

Kahlan and Richard both spun around to find five Mord'Sith standing behind them, the sun beginning to peek over the horizon, casting a radiant halo behind the red leather clad Sisters of the Agiel. Richard cursed under his breath, furious with himself for having not picked up on their presence, allowing his worry for Kahlan to cloud his mind.

"Demos got what he deserved," Richard spat out. "Although, I'm sure he didn't stay dead."

Lucinda smiled wickedly at them. "Of course not," she told him, her hands on her hips. "He sent me to bring the both of you back to the People's Palace. He has special plans for the two of you, but especially for you, Mother Confessor."

Kahlan ground her teeth as she drew her daggers, prepared to fight their way out of this. "Sorry, I have other plans."

Lucinda chuckled softly with her response. "You do not turn down Lord Demos Rahl when he requests you," she stated, her smile fading into a look of pure hatred. "For some reason, he's become quite obsessed with you, Kahlan Amnell. He won't rest until you are his…in every way."

"He'll have to get through me first," Richard sneered, drawing his sword as he moved to stand closer to her.

"Oh, don't feel too left out, Seeker," Lucinda turned her attention to Richard, sizing him up. "Demos has plans for you as well. He plans on breaking you, forcing you to watch as he takes the Mother Confessor to his bed, defiling her in ways you can't even begin to imagine."

Kahlan couldn't stifle the shiver of dread that suddenly rolled through her. "I would rather die than let him touch me," she bit out.

"You just might once he gets his hands on you," she informed her. "He's a very…aggressive…lover, keeps a Mord'Sith on hand at all times to give the breath of life to the women he takes to his bed in case they don't survive so he can continue again."

Richard's rage exploded inside of him, searing through his veins. The blade of his sword was beginning to glow with the fury within, the thought of Demos touching Kahlan in such a perverse way feeding it and giving it a life all of its own.

Lucinda's smug grin began to return, seeing how she was getting to the Seeker. "Do you know how many women Demos has taken to his bed with dark hair, pretending it was you, Mother Confessor? How many times he called out your name as he ravaged one after another, many of them not surviving his assault?"

Kahlan felt ill to her core by Demos's sick perversion, his obsession with her making her skin crawl. "I should have removed his head from his shoulders when I had the chance," she ground out.

Lucinda grew enraged with her words, her smugness abruptly disappearing. "I will personally make sure that you suffer greatly for what you did to him."

"Not if I stop you first," Richard growled as he lunged at her, resolved to keep Kahlan safe above all else.

The Mord'Sith instantly responded to the Seeker, Lucinda yelling out, "The Mother Confessor is mine!"

Her Sisters immediately spread out, attacking with a vengeance as Lucinda set her sights on Kahlan who was obviously already wounded. She grinned to herself. This was going to be even easier than she had originally thought. The Mother Confessor was just about to accidently meet her death.

Richard's sword sliced through the air, blocking one agiel after another only to be hit from behind, causing him to arch his back and scream out in pain. The electrical shock that reverberated through his body nearly buckled his knees, but he refused to give in to the pain or the unconsciousness that began to rise up within him. Kahlan needed him.

The Seeker gritted his teeth, spinning around and slicing through his attacker. He lifted his leg at the last moment, his boot connecting with another's chest as an agiel slammed into his side and causing his ribs to crack.

He swallowed back the scream that suddenly stuck in his throat as he threw his elbow into her face, breaking her nose as he caught site of Lucinda charging towards Kahlan with her agiel. He didn't have a chance to get to her as another agiel pressed into his thigh.

Richard tightened his grip on his sword despite the pain that surged through his entire body as sweat trickled down his back. He refused to give in to the pain, to allow these Mord'Sith to take Kahlan away from him. He swiftly spun on his heel with a fierce growl, his sword plunging deep into the chest of another Sister of the Agiel.

Kahlan gripped her daggers tightly in her hands as Lucinda charged at her, more than determined to end this here. She wasn't about to let Richard fail in his mission or allow the Keeper to gain freedom from the Underworld.

"I have no idea what Demos sees in you," Lucinda snarled at her, disdain dripping in her voice. "I can give him so much more than you ever could."

"You can have him," Kahlan bit out as they circled one another. "I just wish I would've finished him off so you couldn't bring him back from the dead."

"You killed the man I love," Lucinda hissed. "I will not allow you to get away with that."

Kahlan immediately dodged as Lucinda lunged at her with her agiels, grimacing against the fire that shot through her thigh from her wound. She swiftly turned, her dagger slicing through the enraged Mord'Sith's arm.

Lucinda gritted her teeth against the pain that shot through her arm, refusing to give the Mother Confessor the satisfaction. She raised her arm, slamming her agiel into Kahlan's side, causing her to cry out from the pain that shot like a fiery bolt of lightning through her.

She felt her legs begin to give out on her the longer Lucinda pressed the agiel into her, bile rising in the back of her throat. She forced her body to turn, kicking her leg up and connecting with Lucinda's jaw, sending the Mord'Sith flying backwards.

Kahlan immediately dropped to her knees with the effort, her legs finally giving out on her. She panted heavily as she fought to catch the breath the agiel had stolen. She struggled to get back onto her feet, turning in time to catch an agiel across the face and sending her sprawling out onto the ground.

The taste of blood filled her mouth, her cheekbone throbbing mercilessly as she fought to recover her senses, her vision blurring as she gazed up at the canopy of leaves above her. Before she could even begin to recover, Lucinda was on top of her, pinning her to the ground with a wicked gleam in her eye.

The Mord'Sith leaned over Kahlan, dragging her tongue across the corner of the Mother Confessor's mouth and lapping up the blood she found there. "There's going to be a lot more of your blood that will be spilled before this is all over," the Mord'Sith taunted her.

Kahlan cried out as Lucinda dug her agiel into her injured thigh, tears instantly filling her eyes as bile once again filled her throat. She had to get out of this, had to stop her and help Richard. She had to help her Seeker.

Lucinda leaned over her again, tightly gripping her jaw as the smugness returned to her features with the knowledge that she had the upper hand on the Confessor. "Demos wants you so badly he can hardly stand it, but I'm going to make damn sure he never gets you."

Kahlan's head fell to the side as Lucinda waved the agiel in her face, her vision blurred with tears. She could barely make out Richard fighting off the last of the Mord'Sith, their eyes meeting in that brief flicker of time.

"Kahlan!" he screamed her name as he sliced through the last Mord'Sith. "No!"

"I'm afraid it's too late for your precious Mother Confessor, Seeker," Lucinda smirked, glancing at him with a dark look of pure hatred, her agiel hovering dangerously close to Kahlan's skull. "I can't let Demos have her. He's mine and I'm not about to share him with anyone…least of all her."

With a final effort, Kahlan managed to get her arm free from the Mord'Sith's knee digging into it, her hand shooing up and clutching her throat. It was all over before it had truly begun as she released the tight hold she placed on her magic, her power surging forth like a violent storm and snatching the Mord'Sith's soul in less than a heartbeat.

Lucinda's eyes widened in shock as she swiftly pulled back, trying desperately to get away, but it was far too late. She had already been touched by the Confessor's magic, death beginning to ravage her.

Breathing heavily, Richard watched as Lucinda clutched as her throat, gasping for the breath that was being denied her. Kahlan swiftly scooted back away from her until her back hit the trunk of a tree. She too watched as the Mord'Sith succumbed to the touch of the Confessor, her horrifying pain that ravaged her in her final moments.

"You…you won't…win," Lucinda gasped, a sneer on her lips as she drew her final breath.

Sheathing his sword, Richard made his way to Kahlan, kneeling down beside her as she stared in horror at the dead Mord'Sith before her. "I…I had no choice," she whispered, tears still in her eyes with the pain that continued to course through her body.

"No, Kahlan, you didn't," he reassured her, gently pulling her into his arms and holding her close. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she murmured, burying her face in the crook of his neck and closing her eyes against the sudden wash of emotions storming through her.

The feel of Richard's arms wrapped so securely around her was beyond wonderful; making her wish it would never end. But it had to end. They had a mission to finish and he had someone that he loved waiting for him.

Kahlan slowly began to untangle herself from his hold on her, pulling her emotions together and forcing herself to bury them deep down inside of her. "We need to leave," she softly told him as she got to her feet. "There could be more of them."

Richard watched her as she limped towards her horse, his heart hammering with all the things that had happened, everything that he was aching to say to her. He just wanted this horrifying nightmare to end so he could do everything possible to win her back.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Richard could feel the fine hairs on the back of his neck bristle as the eerie sounds of the creatures from the Underworld suddenly filled the air again. He cast a glance back over his shoulder, making sure that Kahlan was keeping up with him.

Her face looked ghostly pale, dark shadows forming beneath her blue eyes. Whatever that arrow had been tipped with was definitely beginning to take its affect on her. He just hoped that she'd be able to hold on until they could get to the Pillars of Creation and then hopefully to Zedd.

He greatly feared, though, she'd barely make it to the Pillars at this rate.

His insides wrenched painfully with the thought of losing her now especially after everything they'd already been through together. He'd never be able to live with himself if he lost her now.

Richard reached into his vest pocket, his fingers caressing the Stone of Tears, making sure it was still there. "Not much longer," he murmured to himself, his resolve hardening to end this madness.

Thoughts of what Demos would do to Kahlan if he ever got his filthy hands on her made him suddenly ill to the core, rage seething hotly inside of him begging for release as well as revenge. He would not rest until his monster of a brother was permanently in the Underworld with his twin where he belonged.

He internally shuddered with dread to think that the same blood that flowed through Demos's veins also flowed through his. How could he possibly be related to such a perverted monster like Demos or even Darken? It made him loathe his heritage, the ancestry that he was associated with. It also made him fear what he was truly capable of.

As much as he just wanted to settle down and marry Kahlan, to raise a family with her when this was all over, Richard knew he would still have to deal with Demos or Kahlan would never truly be safe. Neither would the daughters that he wanted to have with her someday.

He wrapped an arm around his middle, wincing as he lightly pressed the palm of his hand against his freshly broken ribs that now mirrored the broken ribs on his other side. He was going to have to find a way to fight through the pain, to partition his mind from it like he'd been forced to do with Denna because he knew this day was only going to get worse before it was finally finished.

Richard looked up to the sky to see that the afternoon was quickly turning into evening much more quickly than he'd hoped. Since fighting the Mord'Sith this morning, they'd ridden hard all day, pausing only long enough to water and briefly rest their horses before being forced to take off again.

The creatures that had been relentlessly hunting them had only just reappeared again, making their presence known. He knew they wouldn't make it to the Pillars without first having to face off against them. He feared Kahlan might not survive another fight especially in a battle against dark magic from the Keeper of the Underworld.

A plan began to take shape in his mind, one that he would resort to only if it came down to it. Maneuvering his horse, he moved to ride next to Kahlan, his concern for her intensifying as he noticed beads of sweat beginning to form on her brow.

"Kahlan, we have to keep going," he told her. "Can you hold on?"

"Yes," she tightly replied.

Richard frowned, noticing that her breathing was growing more labored. Slowing his horse a little more, he reached over placing a hand against her cheek. She was burning up with a high fever.

"I have to get you to Zedd or a healer," he said, his thumb softly caressing her cheekbone before finally forcing his hand to fall away.

"No, I'm alright," she insisted, averting her eyes, unable to meet the intensity in those dark brown depths that studied her. "We have to keep moving."

"Kahlan, listen to me for once," he snapped, frustration like a vice-grip on him.

He didn't think he could possibly handle much more especially being forced to sacrifice Kahlan if it came down to choosing between her and stopping the Keeper. It suddenly felt as if they'd already been dragged to the Underworld and back, the weight of his mission crushing him from every side.

"I'm not leaving you, Richard," she practically yelled at him. "I'm not about to let you do this alone so you're either going to have to deal with it or physically force me to stay behind. Now which is it?"

"Don't tempt me," he angrily muttered under his breath. "I don't think we're going to be able to outrun those beasts for too much longer. I'm afraid we're going to have to fight them before we reach the Pillars. Are you going to be up for another fight if it comes down to it?"

Kahlan gave him a hard look, the intensity of her determination flashing dangerously in her eyes. "We've come this far," she heatedly replied. "I'm not giving up now."

Richard slowly nodded his head, his heart growing warm with the love that he felt for this beautiful woman before him. Every time he thought there was no way he could possibly love her any more; she always ended up proving him wrong.

"I'll do everything I can to protect you, Kahlan," he finally told her, his voice suddenly thick with so much emotion. "I'll make sure you make it out of this alive one way or another."

"You just worry about yourself, Seeker," she stated, giving him a soft smile that never reached her blue eyes. "You have someone who loves you waiting for you to return home. I'll make sure you don't let her down."

"Kahlan," he sighed heavily, his eyes momentarily falling closed. "Don't worry about…"

"It's alright, Richard," she shook her head, doing her best to keep her face unemotional. "I won't say anything about what happened in the cave. It was a…mistake. It never should have happened."

Richard could feel his anger rising sharply within him, wrapping around his throat and threatening to choke him. He couldn't take this pain in his chest that felt like a deep gaping wound a moment longer. He had to tell her exactly how he felt, that he loved her above all else even his very own life.

"Kahlan, you're wrong," he bit out, knowing this wasn't the time or place with the beasts beginning to close in on them, but he needed her to know how he felt if this didn't go well. "What happened in the cave was not a mistake."

"Richard, please," she begged him, tightening her hold on the reins of her horse. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Why, Kahlan?" he angrily demanded. "Why do you feel like it was a mistake?"

"It just was," she snapped. "You are in love with someone else, someone who is waiting for you to return and…and there's someone you said waiting for me too."

"And what do you feel, Kahlan?" he questioned her, refusing to give up now.

"It doesn't matter what I feel, Richard," she looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. The pain cut far too deep.

"It matters to me," he angrily stated. "Look at me, Kahlan, and tell me what you feel in your heart."

Kahlan swallowed hard, trying to force back the sudden rush of tears that threatened to form, but she refused to acknowledge them. "Please, don't make me," she shook her head, her focus on the path ahead of them.

"Why, Kahlan?" he asked again, his chest beginning to heave with the raging emotions teeming inside of him. "Why are you so afraid to admit you have feelings for me?"

"Because I shouldn't!" she yelled at him as she finally faced him, too exhausted to fight the tears that filled her eyes. "You are in love with someone else, Richard. I have no right to feel the way I do. I'm supposed to be in love with someone else, not you!"

Richard felt his heart stutter in his chest with Kahlan's heated admission, wanting so desperately to kiss her breathless and yet so frustrated he couldn't get her to say the words that he was aching to hear her say. "Kahlan, it's alright," he told her, his tone losing some of the heat it had just held. "The woman I love more than anything is…"

Suddenly, the distant sound of the wolves' howling became an ear-piercing shriek that caused them to look over their shoulders to find the pack breaking through the trees. They were here and ready for a fight to the death. The time had finally come.

"Go, Kahlan!" he shouted at her, urging his horse faster as he pulled his sword free from its scabbard.

He quickly moved his horse, positioning himself between Kahlan and the pack of wolves in an effort to keep her safe from their attack. He risked a glance over his shoulder, the rage inside of him mingling with the magic infused within his weapon.

Kahlan's hand immediately reached for her dagger as she pushed her horse harder. She looked back to see Richard had maneuvered himself between her and the pack beginning to bear down on them, keeping them from getting to her.

Before she could yell at him for trying to protect her, a couple of the wolf creatures suddenly broke through the trees on her left. They charged hard at her, their large powerful jaws snapping viciously at her in an effort to take her down from her galloping horse.

Kahlan kicked furiously with her leg, hitting one of the wolves square in the jaw and causing it to stumble and fall. It quickly recovered, though, and rejoined his companion in the pursuit.

Frightened by the wolves, her horse grew skittish, breaking its stride as it tried to evade the creatures from the Underworld. Kahlan tightened her grip on the reins of her horse in an effort to control the frightened animal, but it was too terrified to listen to her commands as it whinnied and shook its head.

She slipped her dagger into her left hand as she fought for control over her horse, slashing at one of the beasts and gouging it in the eye. It howled in rage and pain, throwing its massive head back and forth as it broke off its attack. The other wolf seemed to renew its efforts to get to Kahlan as it watched its companion fall to the ground injured. Its jaw opened wide revealing two rows of razor sharp yellow teeth.

She quickly pulled up on the reins, bringing her horse to a stop to the surprise of the large animal that swiftly skid to a stop, throwing chunks of rock and debris into the air before turning back towards the Confessor.

Richard swung his sword as one of the wolves lunged at him, his weapon causing his blood to sing as it sliced through the beast's massive body. The creature howled and cried in protest as it dropped to the ground.

He wasn't certain that he had actually killed it or not. It was a creature from the Underworld. How do you kill something that's likely already dead?

He didn't have time to dwell on it as a couple others quickly took over in its attack, snapping at his heels as he tried to keep control of his horse. Glancing at Kahlan, he watched in horror as a couple of wolves began circling her and her horse.

All of a sudden, the leader of the ravenous pack appeared from the side, barreling down on her. "Kahlan!" Richard cried as he watched the beast hurl itself at her, tackling her and knocking her off of her horse.

Kahlan hit the ground hard, banging the back of her head and nearly knocking her out. She opened her eyes to find the leader of the Underworld wolf pack on top of her, pinning her down and glaring at her. She could barely breathe; its hot acrid breath filled her nostrils as it snorted at her.

Its emerald eyes began to glow brightly as it leaned in closer to her. It opened its mouth wide to her, its yellow fangs dripping with saliva as it practically sneered at her in utter hatred. Its claws were digging into her arms and legs, piercing her skin and drawing blood.

Kahlan bit back a scream of pain, turning her head away from the beast as she tried to fight down the panic that ripped through her. Waves of dizziness rolled over her as her head throbbed; her limbs felt like lead as the beast again flashed its fangs at her.

Richard leapt from his horse, racing for his Confessor as rage seared through his veins nearly consuming him whole. He was not about to lose her now, not after everything they had just been through, how hard they had fought and struggled to survive.

Before he could make it halfway to her, the large beast threw its head back, releasing a bone-chilling howl the likes of which Richard had never heard before in his life. Before he could take another step, he was tackled to the ground by another wolf, his sword slipping free from his hand and landing several feet away from him.

He found himself looking up into the enraged face of one of the creatures, a bloody hole where one of its eyes used to be. Its wiry dark gray muzzle was caked with blood as it leaned in close to him, its lips curling back in a fierce sneer that chilled him to his core. It felt as though he was looking into the dark eye of the Keeper himself.

Richard immediately began to struggle to get free, desperate to get to his sword and to save Kahlan. The beast pushed more of its weight into him, causing him to grunt in pain as he fought to catch his breath.

The wolf lifted its massive paw, placing it on his chest directly on top of the mark of the Keeper. It felt like his skin was burning all over again, its claws digging deep into his flesh. His head fell back as a scream tore from his throat, his jaw clenching in pain. The creature seemed to take great pleasure in the agony that it was inflicting on the Seeker as it continued to press its full weigh on him.

Richard thought for sure that the animal was going to crush him, every bone in his body reduced to dust. The need for more air was growing more desperate by the moment as he fought to focus his mind to find a way out of this.

He forced himself to turn his head, needing to see Kahlan one last time. He had failed – failed her, his mission, his grandfather and friends. The world would suffer now at the hands of the Keeper and Darken Rahl because of him.

Pain deeper and sharper than anything this creature could ever create thrummed through him as thoughts of being denied a future with Kahlan rose in his mind, threatening to steal his sanity.

"Kahlan!" he tried to yell her name, desperate for her to hear him, hear his voice. He needed her to know that he loved her with every fiber of his being, that it was him that loved her. Tears blurred his vision as he called out to her again, frantic to get to her, but knowing this was the end.

Kahlan seemed locked in a terrified gaze with the enormous creature that had her pinned to the ground several yards away from him…too far to reach her, too far to save her. He was losing her, the wolf about to end her life and take her away from him forever with one swift slice of its large claws through her body.

The beast on top of him snarled fiercely, its rancid breath causing the Seeker's eyes to burn like fire. He would not have been surprised to hear the Keeper's voice coming from the creature at that moment, mocking him for his utter failure.

He had come so close to finishing what he had started, the Pillars of Creation looming large on a hill in the distance past where Kahlan lay. He'd come so close to righting his wrongs and making Kahlan proud of him. Memories of all the times they'd spent together over the last two years began to flash through his mind as the fangs grew closer, his grief overwhelming him knowing it would all end here like this.

Turning his attention back to her, he wanted the last thing that he saw to be Kahlan, to see her beautiful face one more time to carry with him into the Underworld.

"I love you, Kahlan," he murmured, the pain increasing throughout his body as the creature continued to press its weight into him, tears filling his eyes. "Spirits, I love you."

All of the sudden, a blast of Wizard's fire shot through the air, hitting the beast directly in the chest and knocking it off the Seeker with an enraged howl. Stunned by the sudden release, Richard swiftly scrambled to his feet despite the pain that coursed through him, grabbing his sword.

He quickly turned to find Zedd, Cara, and the Aku racing to their aid. A spear flew through the air, hitting the wolf on top of Kahlan and causing it to cry out in rage. Zedd swiftly raised his hand, another hot blast of Wizard's fire streaking through the air like a bolt of fiery lightning and freeing Kahlan from the beast.

Richard raced towards Kahlan as he sheathed his sword, panic holding his heart in a death-grip. Ignoring his friends and the blood oozing down his chest, he slid to his knees beside his Confessor. His hands gripped her pale face, her skin still burning with fever as he brushed her hair from her brow.

"Richard?" she murmured as she opened her eyes.

"I'm right here, Kahlan," he softly told her, his frantic gaze swiftly roaming over her and the numerous wounds that marred her arms and legs because of that horrifying beast.

Kahlan suddenly sat up, throwing herself into his arms, her sobs finally breaking free. She clung so fiercely to him that it made his broken ribs ache, but he couldn't have cared less at that moment. She was safe and his mission was still not over.

Zedd, Cara, and the Aku warriors quickly finished off the rest of the wolves the Keeper had sent after the Seeker, Zedd burning them with Wizard's fire to make sure they were truly destroyed. They quietly made their way to where Richard was holding Kahlan, each lost in their own thoughts as they silently watched them.

Cara released a weary breath, her throat abruptly constricting, forcing her to swallow hard. If they had been a couple of moments later, Richard and Kahlan would have been dead. It made her shudder to think about it.

Watching them now, she could barely believe it was really them. It felt like an eternity since they'd last seen them. It looked as though they had already done battle with the Keeper himself. Unfortunately, that battle still awaited them, but at least they were here now to help them finish this once and for all.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Richard buried his face in Kahlan's hair as he held her, never wanting to let her go, but knowing that he still needed to get to the Pillars of Creation. Time was rapidly running out on them.

He finally pulled back, taking her face in his hands as he studied her. "Zedd, stay here with Kahlan," he said. "I'm going to the Pillars of Creation to finish this."

"No, I'm going with you," Kahlan firmly said as she disentangled herself from his hold on her, struggling to get to her feet.

"Kahlan, you are in no shape…" Richard shook his head.

"And you are?" Kahlan heatedly asked, her hand reaching out to grip his bloody shirt. "We go together. A Seeker can't go without his Confessor."

"Fine," he scowled, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle.

"It's nice to know some things haven't changed while we've been apart," Zedd smiled.

"You two look positively terrible," Cara huffed. "You know you wouldn't be in such bad shape if you would've had me with you."

"Good to see you're both still alive," Tolla Nakunam said, clapping Richard on the back.

"Well, we won't be for much longer if I don't the Stone of Tears to the Pillars," Richard replied. "We're running out of time."

"It's just through those trees," Zedd pointed. "We'll be there in no time at all."

The ground suddenly began to rumble, rifts abruptly tearing through the earth and creating deep fractures all around them. Richard immediately grabbed Kahlan's hand before taking off for the Pillars. He was not about to let her out of his sight now.

Kahlan kept up as best as she could, gritting her teeth through the pain that continually shot down her leg. She felt like she was burning up from the inside out, exhaustion threatening to take her legs out from under her, but she refused to give up now.

Tears stung her eyes, a bitter mix of relief and heartache knowing this was finally going to be over, but so would she and Richard. She couldn't bear to be around him and not be free to love him like she was burning inside to do.

Richard's heart was hammering knowing this was about to finally end, the nightmare would be over at last and Kahlan would be his reward for all that they'd had to suffer and endure. He was finally going to tell her everything, kissing her the way that he'd been dying to. She would know once and for all that she was the one that he loved, the one that he'd gladly lay down his life for.

Rifts continued appearing almost at every turn they took, causing them to alter the direction they were going. The violent tremors that shook the ground nearly knocked them off their feet as they quickened their pace.

Green smoking vapors spewed up from the belly of the Underworld through the deep fissures in the earth's crust, the nauseating stench of death and decay filling their nostrils and causing their eyes to burn like fire.

The ground suddenly began to give way beneath Richard's boots, nearly dragging him into the waiting arms of the Keeper in the Underworld, but Kahlan swiftly pulled with all her might, keeping his momentum going with her instead of the pits below.

He squeezed her hand in a silent show of gratitude as Kahlan limped to keep up with him. Her body was screaming out to her, threatening to give out at any moment, but she refused to give up now.

Reaching the Pillars, Richard tightened his hold on Kahlan's hand as he led her up the steps. From here, he could see the sun had almost set behind the mountains, its final rays casting a red-orange glow that made it look as if the world was truly on fire. There were only a few more minutes left before the Keeper won.

"Come on, Kahlan," he encouraged her. "We're almost there!"

As they raced through the Pillars of Creation, the ground shook violently again, nearly knocking them off of their feet. A heinous laugh came bubbling up from an unseen source, surrounding them and echoing hauntingly in their ears and vibrating in their chests.

"He's coming!" Richard yelled over the eerie laughter. "We have to hurry!"

Seeing the pedestal come into view, Richard raced towards it, pulling his Confessor along with him. Climbing the steps, a sudden icy chill seemed to fill the air, letting them know that their time was finally up. The Keeper was about to arrive.

The darkening skies above seemed to split apart in a deafening cacophony of thunder and lightning, almost a mirror image of the destruction on earth below. Pieces of the stone pillars began to crumble around them, raining bits of rubble and dust down upon them.

Richard could feel Kahlan's hand begin to slip from his as she stumbled. He quickly turned, grabbing her arm and hauling her up onto her feet. He wasn't going to do this without her. He would carry her the rest of the way if he had to.

"Don't you dare give up on my now, Kahlan!" he yelled at her, crushing her against him as his lips captured hers in a heated kiss.

Before she could truly respond, he suddenly released his hold on her almost as quickly as he had grabbed her, taking off again in a dead run. He raced for the steps leading to the pedestal, his final destination standing so tantalizingly close and yet not close enough.

Kahlan felt her body beginning to give out on her, her legs shaky and threatening to buckle under her. It felt as though her heart was pounding right out of her chest as she fought for every single breath she drew.

Rain pounded down upon them, but seemingly had no affect on the green billowing smoke and flames that continued to spew from the countless rifts that caused the earth to crumble around them.

Racing up the steps, Richard couldn't move fast enough as he finally reached the top. He quickly took the Stone of Tears from his pocket with one hand, the other still firmly clutching Kahlan's. He carefully reached out, gently setting the Stone in its place, releasing the breath he hadn't realized that he was holding.

As it came to rest, a brilliant bright blue light shot out from it, blanketing the area as far as the eye could see in its magnificence. A spine-chilling scream filled the air as the sky suddenly cleared, the angry clouds rolling back, the rain finally ceasing. There was an absolute peace that seemed to settle over and around them, caressing everything within its reach and encompassing them in a warm glow.

Richard looked at Kahlan standing beside him, both awestruck by what they had just witnessed. He turned towards her, immediately pulling her into his arms as he buried his face in her hair. "We did it, Kahlan," he murmured, stroking her hair.

He felt her begin to cry, no doubt overwhelmed by all that they had just endured and survived. "It's alright, Kahlan…everything is alright now."

Kahlan quickly gathered her emotions, tucking them away deep inside of her as she pulled away from him. Turning her back to him, she quickly wiped her eyes to find Zedd, Cara, and some strange men standing behind them intently watching them.

She descended the steps with Richard close behind her, more than anxious to find her way of escape without Richard knowing. She didn't want him coming after her. There wasn't anything he could say or do that would change the fact that they weren't meant to be together. She was just going to have to accept that.

"Kahlan, my dear," Zedd gently greeted her, immediately pulling her into his arms in an affectionate embrace.

She willingly hugged him in return; something very familiar and grandfatherly about him that instantly calmed a measure of the heated storm inside of her and yet it was somehow not enough to keep her here.

Richard looked at Zedd as his grandfather held Kahlan in his arms, shaking his head and silently telling him that she wasn't doing well. His grandfather nodded his head in unspoken understanding, the despair in his grandson's eyes like a razor-sharp arrow to his heart.

Zedd pulled back to look at the Mother Confessor, his hand on her feverish cheek telling him even more about how she was doing. "Here I am hugging you without properly introducing myself," the old Wizard exclaimed with a warm smile. "I'm Zeddicus Zu'l Zorrander, Richard's grandfather. Do you remember me?"

"Vaguely," Kahlan murmured, fighting to keep her eyes open when all she wanted to do was sleep. "You seem somewhat familiar to me."

"This here is Cara," Zedd introduced the Mord'Sith standing stiffly at his side, stunned by Kahlan's condition. "And these are our Aku friends."

Kahlan smiled hesitantly at each of them, suddenly feeling more than a little overwhelmed by it all. She just wanted to get away from here, to find her horse and escape. The sooner she got away from Richard, the sooner she could learn to forget about him.

"You and Richard look as if you've both been through quite a bit since the last time we saw you," he frowned. "I'm a Wizard of the First Order. Why don't I take a look at you and see if there's something I can do to fix the both of you up?"

"Maybe later," Kahlan softly replied folding her arms against her chest, averting her gaze as she moved to stand a little apart from them.

Richard released a ragged breath as he moved to embrace his grandfather. "Please…help her, Zedd," he whispered. "I can't bear seeing her like this any longer."

"You know I'll do whatever I can," Zedd softly reassured him.

Richard pulled back to look at Cara. "Took you long enough to get here," he teased her.

Cara glared hotly at him, not the least bit amused. "You wouldn't keep having all of these near-death experiences if you would quit running off without me all the time."

Richard chuckled softly at the gruff Mord'Sith, knowing that was just her way of saying that she cared for them. He went to shake Tolla Nakunam's hand, happy to see their new friends again. "Thank you for helping us, Tolla."

"Anything for Seeker Richard and Confessor Kahlan," Tolla grinned broadly at him as he shook his hand enthusiastically, pulling him into a fierce embrace. "It's just a good thing we got to you when we did or those creatures would've made a meal out of the two of you."

Richard wearily smiled in return, knowing the truth of his friend's words. It made him internally shudder at how close they had truly come to dying this time. It had been far too close for comfort. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you here. I'm honored that you would leave your village to help us stop the Keeper."

"We are honored to assist the great Seeker and Mother Confessor," Tolla bowed his head. "Now, we need to return to the Aku village to celebrate our victory."

Smiling, Richard squeezed his friend's shoulder in appreciation; more than relieved this was finally over, the Keeper defeated once and for all and Kahlan safe. Now, he just needed to get Kahlan better, to restore her memories for her.

Turning around, the Seeker was stunned to find her gone. "Where's Kahlan?" he demanded to know.

Everyone quickly began looking around, surprised to find no sign of her anywhere.

"She couldn't have gone far," Zedd said. "We'll find her, my boy."

Richard could barely breathe, the fierce tightness in his chest almost unbearable as he took off to find her, fear clawing at his heart all over again.

Kahlan quickened her pace, trying to ignore the burning pain that throbbed relentlessly in her leg or the fact that she felt like her entire body was on fire. She suddenly stumbled, catching herself before she could hit the ground.

She pressed her hand against the trunk of a tree as she fought to catch her breath, but she couldn't rest for long. They would notice she was gone by now, Richard no doubt beginning to look for her, but she didn't want him to find her.

She needed to get back to where they had fought the creatures from the Keeper, find her horse so she could just get as far away from here as possible. Her heart couldn't take being around him anymore. She had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do, only that she had to leave.

Tears began to blur her vision. Why did it have to hurt so badly to love so much?

Kahlan suddenly heard rustling coming from behind her, causing her to walk faster, her leg nearly buckling on her again. She almost fell, but kept going as tears continued to trickle freely down her cheeks.

"Kahlan!" Richard shouted her name, panic lacing his voice.

She cursed under her breath, knowing that he must have spotted her. Her heart was thumping wildly, her breathing labored as she heard him drawing near, the sound of his voice calling her name again filling her ears.

She couldn't stop. She didn't have it in her to fight any longer as she ducked beneath limbs and dodged tree trunks. Her head felt as though it was swimming as sweat trickled down the sides of her face and neck.

Her eyes fell closed as she felt a sudden firm hand roughly grab hold of her arm from behind, forcing her to stop. He swiftly spun her around, making her face him as he tightly gripped her upper arms, keeping her there before him.

"Kahlan, what are you doing?" he demanded, beside himself with worry for her. "Why did you leave me?"

"I had to," she cried, finally opening her eyes to look at him.

The deep sorrow that swam in her eyes stunned him, his anger flaring hotly at how everything had fallen apart around him. "Why?" he angrily yelled at her, shaking her. "Damn it, Kahlan, talk to me! No more secrets. Why are you leaving me?"

"Because I love you!" she yelled back, glaring at him with an intensity that stole his breath away. "I can't stay with you or be near you any longer, not when you're in love with someone else. I can't bear the thought of seeing you with another woman, watching you kiss her and knowing that she's the one bringing you pleasure every night."

It was all Richard could do not to kiss her senseless in that heated moment, to throw her down to the ground and ravage her like he'd been aching to do for so long now. Her words had struck so deep, awakening his hunger like only she ever could.

Kahlan suddenly broke free from his hold on her, turning her back to him. "You have no idea how hard it is to be near you, to want you so desperately and not be able to have you," she continued, her tears falling faster. "I want you to be happy, Richard, and if she makes you happy then that's good, but don't ask me to stay and watch you marry her or force me to see her carrying your baby.

"I may be the Mother Confessor, Richard, but even I'm not that strong…not when it comes to you."

Richard could barely contain the hot flames of passion that suddenly burned so brightly within him, licking at his soul, his heart. Her words had inflamed him in a way that had blindsided him, taking him by surprise by its sheer intensity.

He was completely and hopelessly lost in her and to her in every way imaginable.

He slowly walked up behind her, his anger vanishing as realization slammed into him that this mess was ultimately his fault. In trying to keep from making her memory loss permanent, he'd inadvertently caused her so much confusion and heartache.

"Kahlan," he gently said, his voice tentative as he placed his hands on her shoulder.

His heart broke as she pulled away from him. "Please don't, Richard," she softly replied, her voice choked with so many tears. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."

Kahlan's chin fell to her chest as anguish roiled through her. She could barely keep her eyes open, the fever that gripped her making it more than difficult to think straight at that moment, nausea rising up in her throat.

"Do I get to speak my peace or have a say in any of this?" he snapped, a measure of his anger returning. "Because watching you walk away is killing me."

Kahlan squeezed her eyes closed against the fresh wash of new tears that his words had brought. How much more could her heart be ripped out? How much more could the good spirits possibly take from her?

"You have to let me go, Richard," she bitterly cried, angry with him for putting her through this and increasing her pain.

"No, I don't, Kahlan," he heatedly stated, moving to stand in front of her to keep her from leaving him. "I will never let you go – not now, not ever. You belong with me."

The fierce determination in his voice made her knees weak, her head spinning from the sickness that was ravaging her body. She glared angrily at him, her vision beginning to blur as she stared at him.

"Richard…" she weakly said.

"Kahlan, I love you," he firmly stated, grabbing her by the arms again. "Do you hear me? You're the one that I love, the only one I have ever loved. There is no one else but you."

Staring at him, Kahlan could tell that he was saying something, but his words were so muddled, so distant. She opened her mouth to ask him to help her, but couldn't form the words. She felt as though she was trapped inside her own body, her vision tunneling as everything suddenly went black.

XXX

Richard sat by the fire in the Aku Spirit House, lost in his thoughts as his mind continued to replay the events of the last few weeks over and over again, tormenting him. His sorrowful gaze lifted from the orange flames of the fire dancing before him to settle on Kahlan once more lying beside him. She'd been unconscious for three days now ever since she'd collapsed in his arms from the fever.

They had quickly taken her back here to the Aku village where Zedd and Odo had been able to purge her blood of the fever and the poison that had invaded her body from that arrow. Zedd had also been able to heal her other various wounds sustained in their fights with the Mord'Sith as well as Askar and his pack.

Unfortunately, she'd had yet to wake and until she did, Zedd wouldn't be able to begin the process of trying to retrieve her memories for her.

Richard had barely left her side since bringing her here to recover, taking care of her during the day and holding her close as night while he slept, talking to her and telling her all of his plans and dreams for their future together.

Watching her now, he could feel the ugly shame and guilt swell in his chest again, knowing that he had hurt her deeply in his effort to protect her. Zedd had told him that he hadn't detected any lingering magic in her or spells that would make her memory loss permanent. He couldn't guarantee he'd be able to help her regain all of her memories, but would try his best to do what he could.

Richard wished now that he would've just told her all of it, told her how he felt about her from the very beginning, but he had feared harming her if he revealed too much. Now, he knew there was no longer the risk of that; he could tell her everything that beat inside of him for her.

Now if only she would wake up, open her beautiful blue eyes and look at him.

Richard rubbed his face with his hands, releasing a weary breath. Though Zedd had healed his broken ribs and injuries, he found that he was still a little stiff, but definitely nothing he couldn't handle.

He suddenly looked up at the sharp rapping at the door. "Come in," he called.

He watched as Zedd entered, a smile on his face representing a happiness that neither truly felt at that moment with Kahlan's current condition. "Any change?" Zedd asked as he made his way to Kahlan, kneeling down on the ground beside her.

"No, nothing," Richard sadly replied as Zedd placed his bony hand on Kahlan's forehead.

"Her fever is still gone so that's a good thing," he told him, trying to sound encouraging.

"Then why isn't she awake yet?" he asked, his tone bitter.

"Richard, you know better than I do what you two just went through," he reminded him. "She's fortunate she's even still alive right now. We need to give her some time to recover."

Richard stared at Kahlan for a long moment before finally speaking. "She means everything to me, Zedd," he softly said. "She's always been so strong, a powerful force to be reckoned with. I forget sometimes that she's still human."

"I know, my boy," Zedd nodded, watching his grandson. "She's pretty amazing, isn't she?"

"She's the most amazing woman I've ever met," he murmured. "I don't deserve her and yet the good spirits somehow decided to allow her into my life, entrusted me to take care of her. It doesn't make any sense."

"Well, it makes perfect sense to the rest of us," Zedd replied as he stood up. "I've never seen two people more created for one another than you and Kahlan. I know you may not believe you're good enough for her, but that's only because you're lost in the radiance of her love. You can't see how good you are for her, how perfect."

"Thanks, Zedd," he replied, his focus still on her sleeping form.

"Get some sleep, my boy," the old Wizard recommended as he made his way to the door. "I'm sure things will be better tomorrow."

Richard sighed heavily as he moved closer to Kahlan, his knuckles lightly grazing along the delicate curve of her beautiful face. "I hope so," he whispered as he lay down beside her.


End file.
